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He went from a radio disc jockey in Toronto to playing sessions all over the world with the likes of Ani DiFranco, the Barenaked Ladies, the Indigo Girls and Janis Ian. However, Andy Stochansky’s real goal during his season of session work was to cook up a solo career of his own. Possessing a voice that falls somewhere in between The Kinks’ Ray Davies and Jeff Buckley, with obvious influences including The Smiths and The Waterboys, Stochansky released “While You Slept” in 1995, followed by “Radio Fusebox” in 1999 to underground acceptance. His major label debut Five Star Motel shows the singer/songwriter’s transformation from piano based balladry to a lush guitar driven pop sound, occasionally ambient in nature and usually uplifting in attitude. The disc’s opener “Stutter,” along with “Here Nor There” both start off with docile guitar strums, eventually bursting at the seams with potent acoustic blasts accompanied by Stochansky’s melodic vocal layering. “Paris,” “Wedding Song,” and “Miss USA” are much more contemplative in tone yet still bubble over with evocative sentiment. “Mavis Said” shows additional diversity, beginning with Stochansky’s hushed vocals and calming piano playing, slowing inflating into bouts of orchestral bliss. If only the drone of “On” and the dead end finale “Hymn” didn’t interfere with Stochansky’s consistent examples of ingenuity, Five Star Hotel would be an all around home run.

Andy Argyrakis 10/7/2002