One Lone Car

�It�s been a weird year.�

So says Dustin �Dei� Plegge, One Lone Car frontman and wordsmith, to explain the lyrical darkness of the band�s sophomore release, North, South, East and the Rest. Whereas their debut CD, Variety Hour, was an upbeat swirl of sounds and schemes, the new disc shows a depth, a maturity to the St. Louis-based quartet�s songwriting and arranging.

Case in point: caustic yet catchy disc opener �The Lonely Ones,� which finds Dei proclaiming, �All I want from you is your money, honey/give you a ring, let you believe love is real.� �Textbook" is equally bleak, opening with a playfully addictive guitar and the line, �In your own words describe to me/the meaning of this apathy.�

Backing up Dei (vocals, guitar, piano) are Michael Hickey (bass), Neal Klein (guitar) and Andy Herrin (drums). One Lone Car has been together just a couple of years; its members are largely self-taught. Their songwriting process is simple: Dei works out melodies and his trademark-clever lyrics at the piano, then everyone else elaborates.

North, South�s 11 songs (10 officially, plus one hidden track) were recorded at Gin Blossoms� frontman Robin Wilson�s Uranus Studios and engineered by Jamie Woolford (Gin Blossoms, The Actual). The Gin Blossoms� connection is one that bears repeating: One day, Andy left a message at Uranus Studios and Robin happened to hear it. He listened to the music on MySpace, liked it and called Andy back. Robin soon became one of the band�s biggest fans, inviting one Lone Car to open for his reunited Gin Blossoms last fall, and again this spring.

Yet this connection with their idols should not overshadow One Lone Car�s sheer talent, their songs� simple brilliance. Combining passion and melodrama, One Lone Car craft rich soundscapes punctuated by witty pop hooks and haunting, heartfelt lyrics. There�s a theatrical-ness, both to the songs and the live performance; whether Dei�s sprawled across a set of keys or stroking sounds from his guitar, he�s a captivating frontman backed by passionate and in-synch musicians.

�This time around,� he says thoughtfully, �I was less afraid of doing my own thing. Instead of writing with a certain structure in mind, it�s more from the heart; there�s more feeling.� Call it a combination of self-belief, of growth, of turning struggles into inspiration. Or, hell, call it what it is: undeniable talent realized.


ONE LONE CAR
North, South, East & the Rest
1. The Lonely Ones
2. God�s Eye View*

3. Funny Feelings*

4. Textbook

5. Styrofoam & Wine*

6. Singing Along

7. Villain

8. Highway

9. Cuando Este Muerto

10. I Sleep


Catch ONE LONE CAR live...
5/9: Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
5/17: Chesapeake Jubilee, Chesapeake, VA
5/18: B.B. King's, New York, NY
6/14: Naper Days, Naperville, IL
7/13: Taste of Dallas, Dallas, TX*
all shows with Gin Blossoms except * with Soul Asylum