| Welcome, Convalescence | |
|---|---|
| |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | April 2003 |
| Recorded | January 2002 |
| Studio | Brent Best's house, Denton, Texas |
| Genre | Rock |
| Label | Munich/Undertow |
Welcome, Convalescence is the second album by South San Gabriel, recorded at Slobberbone singer Brent Best's Denton house in January 2002 and released in April 2003 by Munich Records. [1]
The album features all of the members of singer Will Johnson's main band, Centro-Matic, as well as Best on guitars and Joe Butcher of Pleasant Grove on pedal steel guitar. [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
Allmusic reviewer John Schacht gave it a 4-star review, calling it "one of those brilliantly despondent records so gorgeously executed it lifts your spirit just to be able to feel its sadness", and "a melancholic masterpiece". [2] No Depression commented on its "beautifully languid melodies that exert a subtle, hypnotic pull", stating "Quiet desperation rarely sounds this enchanting." [1] The Austin Chronicle's Michael Chamy gave it three and a half stars, stating "all eight tracks are winners" and describing it as "the summer album you want to hear while nestled up to the air-conditioner after coming in from the 100-degree heat. The definition of cool." [3]
The Manchester Evening News gave it a more mixed review, stating "like the eponymous river, too much of this album just flows by murkily". [4] The Chicago Tribune was similarly ambivalent, stating "Will Johnson's songs are undeniably pretty, but the slow pace and his affected, sleepy drawl can be distracting." [5]