**** 4 stars MOJO Magazine:
"If Iron and Wine have been getting too burly for you lately, you might check out this engaging folk Americana album. The mood of its gently reflective and often lovely songs (Damage Twins; Remotely Together; Sight Behind Lids) ranges from hushed to haunting, mellow to melancholic, given an added intimacy by a singer whose voice is a whisper louder than Sam Beam's."
-Sylvie Simmons, MOJO Magazine
“as disarmingly lovely as any country rock album you’ll hear this year—or this decade—a nearly ideal agglomeration of melancholy pedal steel, close, minor-key harmonies and weathered rumination....This is special. If you ever laid in bed all Sunday morning listening to Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend or got over a lost love to the soundtrack of Hollywood Town Hall, you ought to hear Not for Us Two.”
-PopMatters
“Not For Us Two is a straightforward sounding record. No maddening metaphors or tricky hooks clutter the sparse acoustic songs and general melancholy that has become Lo Fine’s trademark. Not For Us Two acts out in subtle and gentle fashion. A combination of Jeff Tweedy and a mournful Zach Rogue, O’Rourke brings genuineness to what could otherwise be contrived or overly standard thematic situations. Lo Fine utilizes a less-is-more stance to music....the album is satisfying in an age of over sensory acts cramming every corner with noise. Lo Fine allow the songs to expand at a slow, but natural pace, bringing a warmth and finally a welcomed resolution.”
-Alarm Magazine
“the slow-motion playing, gentle vocal, lilting lullaby of pedal steel all serve to relax, and very calming it is. The closing ‘My Favourite Illusion (Not for Us Two)’ is another indolent warm afternoon. I feel as though I should be throwing open the windows and letting in the breeze when the pile of harmonies and counterpoints arrive things are elevated again. This is an enjoyable set of songs that has a unity of approach.”
-Americana UK
“Not For Us Two is akin to Son Volt, Bonnie Prince Billy and at times, the later period Red House Painters....The lyrics are direct and honest, O'Rourke shirking any kind of obscurity in the straightforward delivery of the words...If there is a theme to Not For Us Two, it is one of aching while being separated, whether by a breakup or by distance, from a loved one...This album has KEXP written all over it by the songwriting and the production. It will comes as no surprise to hear these songs on the station in the coming months.”
-Three Imaginary Girls
“Lo Fine is essentially the work of Kevin O'Rourke – though....our eyes lit up to see that ex-Scud Mountain Boy Bruce Tull has a hand in shaping this gentle alt-country shuffle with his unmistakable pedal steel work...this one comes from a new EP of unreleased B sides. Dig that brush work! And Kevin's easy mourning vox.”
-Stereogum
“The strong melodies here, the pleasantly grounded singing and the sweet pedal steel work combine to make this a well-above-average platter.”
-Playback: stl
"The biggest strength found on Not For Us Two is the sense of beautiful meditation within the lyrics, with O’Rourke’s poetic words leaving permanent imprints on the souls of all who come in contact. The unshakable state of melancholy is present in even the most upbeat sounds. Thankfully, just as the gentle lull of Lo Fine begins to sleepily fade, a track like “Cemetery Road” comes along with a slightly more upbeat melody to bring listeners back from despondency.
Some album highlights include the track “Remotely Together”, where O’Rourke is able to insert some welcoming sarcasm and states “Wise men don’t poke pins, They wait and deflate them a little,” amidst his contemplations on lost love and hope to last eternally. “#37” is as equally charming as it is sappy, with O’Rourke crooning about the many different ways to call hope-soaked words such as “beautiful,” “beginning,” or “pure.”
Singer/songwriter O’Rourke receives assistance on Not For Us Two from a handful of talented musicians, who add to the simplified sound with guitar, bass, drums and pedal steel. Overall, Not For Us Two is a positive, enjoyable follow-up album for Lo Fine, which exudes the relaxation suited perfectly for any sunny day."
-Northeast Performer
Indie/Slow core/Americana band and recording project started in the late 1990's in Northampton, Massachusetts by
singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin O'Rourke.
"committed to the notion that there's a place for popular music that values the sublime and restrained over the raw and showy." (Boston Globe)...more
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