Pete Droge's debut album,
Necktie Second, finds the singer/songwriter following the footsteps of
Tom Petty and
Neil Young. At this stage,
Droge might not be as melodically sturdy as either of his influences, yet he can turn out a charming piece of roots rock like "If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself)" without much effort. "If You Don't Love Me" isn't indicative of the rest of the record -- throughout
Necktie Second, he's hunched over an acoustic guitar, singing sensitive, confessional songs. He's got a more distinct backbeat and a bit more grit than most singer/songwriters, but many of the songs fail to be really compelling, making
Necktie Second a promising debut, but not a particularly remarkable one. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine