After winning a 3FM Award and having scored high at the Grote Prijs van Nederland, Amsterdam's A Balladeer, around singer / songwriter Marinus de Goods, was in the spotlight as a promising group from 2003 onwards. Their first self-managed EP could count on airplay at 3FM and the group eventually signed with the major label EMI. On Panama they are assisted by Bløf bass player Peter Slager and they
… managed to get arranger Robert Kirby (Nick Drake) for the orchestrations. A Balladeer sounds like the well-read brother of Racoon on this well-maintained debut, a sound that of course also goes back to REM and (especially) Counting Crows. The Goods has just as honest vibrato as Michael Stipe in his melodic voice and his lyrics have a slightly philosophical slant. There are also many sparkling acoustic instruments (guitar, piano, strings) while the group is still able to turn out solid in the choruses. An exemplary pop record that fans of the aforementioned comparisons can buy blindly. (MR)more
