Shawn Mullins - Beneath the Velvet Sun

"Lullaby" was more than just a one-off novelty hit that unexpectedly established the career of longtime indie singer/songwriter Shawn Mullins in 1998-1999 (though it was that, too). It was a song that encapsulated both of Mullins' strongest traits. In its semi-spoken verses, he revealed his eye for detail and his sardonic outlook; in its choruses, he demonstrated his ability to craft a pop hook. On Beneath The Velvet Sun, his first real major-label album (its predecessor, Soul's Core, was picked up by Columbia after release on his own SMG label), Mullins leans more to the latter tendency, but he provides enough of the former to pacify the audience he earned with "Lullaby." The album's first single, "Everywhere I Go," is a good example of Mullins' pop talent, a catchy but somewhat weightless effort with a bland love lyric. Read More