12 Haunted Episodes, Graham Parker's first album recorded for an independent
label, is appropriately intimate and warm, recalling the simplicity of
Struck By Lightning, but with a gentler approach. Parker makes no concessions
to commercial radio on the record, dispensing with the slick productions
that tended to plague his albums for the past decade or so. That doesn't
mean the record is raw -- it means that it's more personal and intimate.
At its core, 12 Haunted Episodes is not that different than Parker's records
since The Mona Lisa's Sister: most of the songs are love songs to his
wife and daughter, or they're tales of an aging rebel, trying to keep
his youthful fire alive as he grows older. However, the songs are measured
and reflective, signaling that he's settling gracefully into his middle
age. When Parker does get bitter -- such as his attack on capitalism,
"Disney's America" -- it doesn't seem vengeful, it seems regretful,
which helps make 12 Haunted Episodes his most mature album to date.
(by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All
Music Guide)
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