"Evoking the spirit of the timeless Neil Young, emerging Tambourine-based singer-songwriter PJ Weston has, with Songs About Home, produced a debut album that impresses no end with the seemingly effortless ease with which he's delivered these 11 folk/country songs.

It's almost impossible not to break out in a smile, tap your feet and feel reinvigorated by tracks such as album opener "Plant Myself", "Kids These Days", "Don't Grieve For Me" and "All In Your Mind". Subtler moments also come with "Waiting For Me" "I'm Telling You" and the heart-aching "Cats And Dogs", on which Weston backs himself on keys and harmonica. Recorded at home, Weston also mixed the bulk of the album himself, showing that he has talents both in a technical and artistic sense.

Simple but not simplistic, Songs About Home is honest, organic, and straight from the heart. Nothing is forced, nothing is overused, and nothing sounds premeditated or over dwelled upon. In an age when an artist with integrity is as rare as hen's teeth, PJ Weston proves with this debut album that he is a rare and promising find."

3 1/2 stars

Justin Grey, Time Off 28 Nov 07