Guster: Keep It Together : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

The Boston trio Guster made a name for itself touring college campuses throughout the Nineties, armed with an unusual stage setup - two acoustic guitars and some hand drums -- and a heap of sunny pop tunes. Keep It Together proves that all the touring hasn't hardened Guster's bright folk-pop sound a bit, as singer-guitarist Ryan Miller gently croons his way through a series of hook-y love songs and manages to sound happy even when he's dissing a faraway ex-girlfriend, on "Amsterdam." Besides adding bass and a drum kit to the mix, Keep It Together also shows off the band's facility with hushed, minimal arrangements (witness the languid, pretty opener, "Diane"), and expert harmonies buoy just about every tune. This may be classic AM radio masquerading as college rock, but the band's softhearted fans shouldn't mind a bit.

CHRISTIAN HOARD
(RS 930, September 4, 2003)