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Chris Garneau keeps quiet, he doesn't make any sudden moves, and he doesn't smile while singing. His songs are solemn but beautiful, repeating the peaceful moments just before a tragic ending. However, his calming voice and lighthearted jaunts over the piano keys keep you from thinking there is anything wrong. The strings, most likely a cello, counter the waltz of his piano with a weep and quiver. Sometimes his voice gets a little heated and an accordion or brushed drums waiver in the distance but the song doesn’t escape its melancholy.

This album came out on Tuesday on Absolutely Kosher, but I have been coveting Music For Tourists since the beginning of December. Maybe I hesitated to share because his songs are so intimate or because I have trouble pronouncing his last name. Nonetheless, Chris Garneau's frail and bare songs require a close ear and a long day. He proves you can be sad and harmonious.

Chris is a delicate mix of Doveman, Regina Spektor, Antony, and even Elliot Smith (he covers "Between the Bars" as the last track on the album). Thus, his album would come recommended to anybody who wallows in those discographies.

UPCOMING RECOMMENDED SHOWS
FRI 2/2 :: Chris Garneau, The Ballet, Gregory and the Hawk, Michael Leviton @ Tonic, 8:00pm. $10.

DOWNLOAD
Chris Garneau :: Not Nice (MP3)
Chris Garneau :: Black and Blue (MP3)