Although
Addicted to Distraction is
Peter Salett's sixth self-released solo album, he is best known (and no doubt best paid) for his musical contributions to films, and that isn't surprising given the chameleonic style changes he displays on the disc. Here employing some horn and string charts, he sometimes shows off his antecedents clearly, whether he is channeling
Johnny Cash on "The Rains of Cozumel" or waxing
Beatlesque ("I'm Hers and She's Mine"),
Dylanesque ("It Don't Bother Me No More"), or
Bacharach-esque ("Infatuation"). Actually, though, his most common style is engaging country-pop that he sings in a clearly enunciated tenor, music sometimes reminiscent of ‘80s country-rockers like
Stan Ridgway with
Wall of Voodoo or
Dan Zanes with
the Del Fuegos, but often reaching back to the original Hollywood cowboy, Rick Nelson. Indeed, when
Salett emphasizes that even-toned aspect of his voice, notably on "Sifting Through the Pages" and "Tell Me from the Heart," he seems seconds away from breaking out into a rendition of "Hello, Mary Lou" or "Garden Party." But no matter whose music he is influenced by on any given track, he retains a strong pop sensibility, his well-crafted songs always boasting catchy choruses that come around frequently. His talent for making sound-alike pop in varying genres no doubt serves him well in satisfying the musical demands of movie directors, and there's plenty of material here for future features. ~ William Ruhlmann