The frontman for Karate and The Secret Stars comes in with an understated, heartfelt attempt at jazz, and succeeds wonderfully. His crushed voice wavers barely over intricate acoustic instrumentals, on the brink of perpetual heartbreak at all times. A pioneer of the latest emo-jazz frontier, Farina shows his worth on tracks like ìFire,î where his intensity grows with his quieting breaths. Reigning king of the artful whisper ñ for fans of his previous works, plus the jazzy tunes of Pele, or the minimalism of Low.

Geoff Farina
Southern

1. Mark Farina
2. Stereolab To, Uh, Eclipse The Margerine In January 2004
3. Stereolab’s Ninth LP Due In January
4. Portishead Continues To Tweak LP 3
5. Polyvinyl Records To Release Rare Pele Tracks