Although
Greg Summerlin is a native Southerner and former alt country stalwart who recorded this album in Minnesota, the most obvious musical touchstones for this brand of literate, peppy, but emotionally tangled form of guitar pop are all British and all 15-20 years old: the
Housemartins, the
Beautiful South, the
Lightning Seeds, the
Lilac Time,
Prefab Sprout and others of that time and place are echoed all over
All Done in Good Time. Though
Summerlin claims that the record is a concept album telling a story about four romantically and otherwise linked characters over the course of its 14 songs, any lyrical connections are subtle enough that the album can be properly enjoyed as a collection of crisp, jangly pop tunes in a variety of moods ranging from winsome innocence to moody angst. Particular highlights include the enjoyably whiny power pop of "He's a Faker" and a surprisingly non-filler-like instrumental called "A New Birth" that features both a killer rhythm guitar riff and some excellent retro synth swells.
All Done in Good Time is a low-key album that's unlikely to grab a particularly big audience, but it's very easy to imagine an Anglophile cult of underground pop lovers latching onto it. ~ Stewart Mason