De Morgen
March 1998
Thanks to Anne for sending us this review.

According to the last rumours, the new CD of Smashing Pumpkins will be a few months in coming. For guitarist James Iha this is a good thing, because the man has just released his first solo album and it would be a pity if the public would pay no attention to it. Let it Come Down does indeed not contain any heavy pounding rock à la Pumpkins; it is a pure, organic pop album with direct, disarmingly melodic songs, which almost all composed on an acoustic guitar. Iha seems to have a secret crush for singer-songwriters as Neil Young, Jackson Browne and Gram Parsons and takes example by their personal as well as timeless approach.

Songs as 'Beauty', 'Lover, Lover' and 'One and Two' float for example on beautiful, voice parts arranged for several voices and a perfect balance between electric and wireless instruments. James Iha recorded his solo debut in his home studio in Chicago and surrounded himself with friends as Neil Casal, pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz and members of Veruca Salt and Fountains of Wayne. The music sounds sober and intimate, but never without relief and is now and then even wrapped in elegant string arrangements. Furthermore Iha also manages to convince as a singer and he proves that as a song writer he decidedly no longer has to stand in the shadow of Billy Corgan.

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