One Mississippi

Years before "Detroit" was the first word on the lips of taste-fakers, hype-stokers, scene-stealers, and fame-lords the world over, Brendan Benson's sheep-in-wolves' clothing debut album "One Mississippi" was the unassuming first shot fired from the city and players that would soon become feted beyond their wildest imagination. From the gallant album-opener "Tea" (a song which particularly resonated with Japanese fans, of whom hundreds excitedly sent him fan mail containing tea bags) through the propulsive swell of "Sittin' Pretty" and the undeniable "hit" of "Crosseyed" to the quirky "Insects Rule" (which was jammed on live by Foo Fighters?!) Benson's craft is fully on display here. With half the songs here cowritten by the estimable Jason Falkner (Jellyfish, Beck), the end result is an unabashed pop album, accentuated by Brendan's brilliant turn of phrase and preternatural ear for a melody. The album also stands out as the first full-length project helmed by venerated super-producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon) with "One Mississippi" serving as a unifying point in the careers of Johns, Benson, and Falkner that found them all mutually ascendant. Twenty-three years after its initial release, the Third Man Records reissue of "One Mississippi" is the FIRST-EVER vinyl pressing of this seminal album.