MARCH 22, 2004
by Rob O'Connor

Peter Salett, After A While

Simple but not simplistic, Peter Salett writes pop songs that wrap their longings in the leanest of arrangements. Salett orchestrates with a Zen-like economy on his second album, placing a pedal steel in one corner, a piano in another, offering nothing overpowering, just solid musicianship from a small, supporting cast of local New York City notables. The songs simmer with a reflective early 1970s glaze, not unlike what a modern day East Coast Jackson Browne or Bread might surmise. "I Fly So High" sports a deep winter vibe with its muffled vocal, metaphysical quest and emphatic finger-picking that recalls early Bruce Cockburn. "Colorful Dream" and the title track suggest Ben Folds Five without the smart-assed streak. Salett's low-key demeanor hasn't prevented his music from gathering notice from actors turned film directors -- Edward Norton, Salma Hayek -- who've appropriately noted how well Salett's imagistic tone poems can support their cinematic contemplation. .