Blue Afternoon [Vinyl] (ONLINE ORDER ONLY)

An intensely prolific year for Tim Buckley, 1969 saw the California-based folk singer/songwriter not only releasing HAPPY SAD, but recording material that would be included on later albums, most notably BLUE AFTERNOON. This latter outing is essentially HAPPY SAD's often-overlooked, less-troubled sibling, and while the songs here aren't as immediately intriguing as "Buzzin' Fly" and "Strange Feelin'," they are still wonderful examples of Buckley's unique folk/jazz hybrid. The opener, "Happy Time," and "I Must Have Been Blind" are spare, chiming tunes that allow Buckley's distinctively plaintive voice to shine, while "Chase the Blues Away" and "The River" drift into somber, melancholy moods. Although Buckley's blues leanings generally took a back seat to jazz-tinged numbers, "So Lonely" and "Blue Melody" find him settling into the former mode. Overshadowed by both HAPPY SAD and the more experimental work on the subsequent LORCA, BLUE AFTERNOON offers consistency where it lacks flash, making it a worthy peer to those lauded records.

• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Pop