Messenger
Reviews
canuck
Reviewed 2010-02-18
Reviewed 2010-02-18
Really good straight up folk/ folk rock from this young, gravelly voiced Chicago-based singer-songwriter. He gets a lot of comparisons to Bob Dylan, but he's taken the limitations of that folk songwriter genre and made them work. Mostly acoustic numbers but a few full band folk rock numbers. (Pug played live at KZSU in November 2008, by the way.)
-Adrian
FCC: Clean (as far as I can tell)
My picks: (acoustic): 9(!), 2, 3, 4, 7
(rock): 10(!)
1. folk rock at a walking pace.
2. mid tempo. acoustic w/ harmonica. lovely song.
3. slow. acoustic w/ harmony vocals, slide guitar. another good one.
4. med-slow. acoustic. plaintive slide guitar later. main song ends w/ 0:22 left--then some ambient sounds.
5. med-fast, almost jaunty. acoustic w/ banjo, harmonica.
6. slow. acoustic love song.
7. mid tempo. acoustic. nice guitar and vocal line.
8. mid tempo. acoustic. doubled guitar.
9. med slow. acoustic. pretty stunning song, lyrics especially.
10. med-slow. folk rock. Great song. Redone from his previous EP (where it was acoustic).
-Adrian
FCC: Clean (as far as I can tell)
My picks: (acoustic): 9(!), 2, 3, 4, 7
(rock): 10(!)
1. folk rock at a walking pace.
2. mid tempo. acoustic w/ harmonica. lovely song.
3. slow. acoustic w/ harmony vocals, slide guitar. another good one.
4. med-slow. acoustic. plaintive slide guitar later. main song ends w/ 0:22 left--then some ambient sounds.
5. med-fast, almost jaunty. acoustic w/ banjo, harmonica.
6. slow. acoustic love song.
7. mid tempo. acoustic. nice guitar and vocal line.
8. mid tempo. acoustic. doubled guitar.
9. med slow. acoustic. pretty stunning song, lyrics especially.
10. med-slow. folk rock. Great song. Redone from his previous EP (where it was acoustic).
Recent airplay
Speak Plainly, Diana
The Iron Skillet — Oct 18, 2025
Bury Me Far (From My Uniform)
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Unsophisticated Heart, How Good You Are
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Charting
2010-03-07 — 2010-05-09
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| May 9 | 1 |
| Apr 18 | 1 |
| Apr 11 | 2 |
| Apr 4 | 1 |
| Mar 28 | 1 |
| Mar 14 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Messenger | ||
| 2. | How Good You Are | ||
| 3. | Not So Sure | ||
| 4. | The Sharpest Crown | ||
| 5. | The Door Was Always Open | ||
| 6. | The First Time I Saw You | ||
| 7. | Unsophisticated Heart | ||
| 8. | Disguised As Someone Else | ||
| 9. | Bury Me Far (From My Uniform) | ||
| 10. | Speak Plainly, Diana |