44 Long – Hangover Heights Part 2
44 Long is Brian Berg. He writes the songs, sings them, performs them, and records them. At various times since forming a decade ago, 44 Long has also been a performing outfit with additional musicians, heard in venues around Portland, Oregon. Hangover Heights Part 2, the third 44 Long album, appears after a seven-year hiatus. Players have come and gone, but Berg is no front porch singer-songwriter; hes a guy with a rock band, even if hes playing nearly all the instruments himself, as he has here. The rockier moments (and they are plentiful) are remarkable for the fact that they were built up, instrument by instrument. Please Dont Love Me Now and You Let Them Win are glorious whirlwinds of muscular guitars, driving rhythms, and infectious hooks. No matter what the credits may reveal, this is a screaming, and real, band.