Phil Crumar
As it Goes (2000)

review by: Jason Thornberry
Date: 11/7/01

Apparently an asterisk goes by Crumar's name that says something about his past involvement in the Washington D.C "go-go scene".

Okaaay...all I got from this oh-so-brief 13 minute cd was a worn out REPEAT button on my stereo. As It Goes treads lightly in waters more prone to containing hip-hop, and at first glance you might be hasty to say Crumar is a shoo in for the new improved Beck circa 2001. He's obviously white, but he doesn't try the soul-schtick for even two seconds. If anything, guest vocalist Brett Abramson makes the flat-ness (i.e. whiteness) of his voice on half of this EP sound even more obvious. While I love Beck, and at least boast a well-worn copy of Odelay, listening to this four-song cd makes me think there's a bit more to Crumar than Hansen. At least right now. Phil looks like a nerdy ad man checking his horoscope before his next Power Lunch on the cover of As It Goes. He also plays almost everything himself.

If I can get this dislodged from my crappy little $79 boom-box this will not be straying too far from it.