My Religion Is Love in Bloomington, MN

On
My Religion Is Love
,
singer/songwriter
Jason Traeger
showcases his dry sense of humor and unabashedly bright outlook on life. The disc kicks off with the optimistic
"Health, Personal Growth and Positive Living,"
a song that utilizes
Traeger
's fresh perspective and his subtle
indie rock
sound. Unlike many solo artists, he uses different musicians on drums, bass, and keyboards on each song. That arrangement results in a refreshing, collaborative effort throughout. The disc starts off strong. The first track is followed by
"Good Thing"
and
"Word of Mouth."
The songs are short and simple, positive like
John Denver
with a dose of
punk rock
. Some might be turned off by the excessively sappy
"Love, Love and Love."
Unlike most artists on
K Records
, he gets downright silly on
"Bells."
For the most part,
offers a straightforward
rock
record. The overly optimistic mood makes it unique in the Northwest
scene, which is often overpopulated by
emo
bands. By far the most aggressive song on the disc is
"Punk Rock Riot."
That song is followed by a cover of
the Cro-Mags
'
"We Gotta Know."
The disc ends with the spirited
ballad
"Remember This,"
a simple song with guitar by
Paul Schuster
.
Built to Spill
's
Scott Plouf
appears on drums on a few tracks. The songs on
were produced by
Phil Elvrum
at
Dub Narcotic Studios
in Olympia, WA. ~ Stephen Cramer