Last Chance Runaround

By Jhoni Jackson
The dimly lit lounge-style bar
tucked away inside the downtown W Hotel typically draws a fast-paced crowd of Atlanta’s upper social
crust, with its sleek décor and limos frequently circling the entrance. So when
Last Chance Runaround began their acoustic folk set, complete with a harp and a
heaping scoop of granola, a culture clash could have easily ensued. Instead,
lead singer Scott Linn Roberts and Sue Volkert (on harp and secondary
vocals) played their mellow repertoire as comfortably as they would at a laid-back
neighborhood coffee bar. Aside from a chatty, self-absorbed group up front
(seriously, it was like the Friends cast on the Central Perk couch), the
crowd was surprisingly responsive. Last Chance Runaround cites late-’80s
alternative band Winter Hours and their airy sound as a primary influence, and
they’re not kidding – they even have a disclaimer on their MySpace about not
being a Winter Hours cover band. But the band’s strummy interpretations give
the legacy of Winter Hours, who generally went underappreciated even after the
group’s dissolution, a much-deserved extended life. - LCR Drinkshop Review

By Jhoni Jackson
The dimly lit lounge-style bar
tucked away inside the downtown W Hotel typically draws a fast-paced crowd of Atlanta’s upper social
crust, with its sleek décor and limos frequently circling the entrance. So when
Last Chance Runaround began their acoustic folk set, complete with a harp and a
heaping scoop of granola, a culture clash could have easily ensued. Instead,
lead singer Scott Linn Roberts and Sue Volkert (on harp and secondary
vocals) played their mellow repertoire as comfortably as they would at a laid-back
neighborhood coffee bar. Aside from a chatty, self-absorbed group up front
(seriously, it was like the Friends cast on the Central Perk couch), the
crowd was surprisingly responsive. Last Chance Runaround cites late-’80s
alternative band Winter Hours and their airy sound as a primary influence, and
they’re not kidding – they even have a disclaimer on their MySpace about not
being a Winter Hours cover band. But the band’s strummy interpretations give
the legacy of Winter Hours, who generally went underappreciated even after the
group’s dissolution, a much-deserved extended life. - LCR Drinkshop Review

ISSUE #129 Feb. '10

Scott Roberts (guitars, vocals, bass, drums, songwriting) and Sue Volkert (harp, vocals, piano, percussion) are the duo that make up Last Chance Runaround. Based out of Atlanta, GA, the pair pooled their talents for a one-off tribute to the band Winter Hours; that collaboration revealed a bit of magic and more songs (originals) followed. The resulting full-length album, Alter Idem, is a gorgeous record of Alt. Folk that could nestle itself among the finer classic Woodstock era folk ensembles. Add in a healthy dose of early REM, mix in everything The Beatles taught us via a Byrds style presentation with a whiff of Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven, and pour it over the influence of Winter Hours to create a list of talents learned and mastered from that could go on and on.

Alter Idem is 12 tracks and 47 minutes of amazing interplay. Whether it is the interplay of Scott’s acoustic guitar strumming with Sue’s harp picking – a complementing chemistry that is excellently thought out and well executed throughout the album – or the interplay of their vocals – whether it’s their harmonizing or call and response – it continuously amazes and delights our aural expectations. Scott Roberts' stories, and the lyrics used to convey them in LCR’s musical expression of quality songs that are impeccably arranged, bring delight to all our artistic senses. Not only do the songs provide instantly catchy and singable choruses, but also plenty of musical hooks, especially the ones that Sue Volkert’s harp provides throughout the album. Harp hooks hitting the brain – intense.

Last Chance Runaround has produced an Alt. Folk album that draws from every viable modern day folk influence (from ’65 on – thus the modern prefix), wraps it in chamber pop, and squeezes it into our brain like a slushy in summer, before it melts its way slowly through our being to make our soul smile.

Alter Idem: “the same, but different” or “second self”
Last Chance Runaround: “the same, but different” or “second self” - Independisc

ISSUE #129 Feb. '10

Scott Roberts (guitars, vocals, bass, drums, songwriting) and Sue Volkert (harp, vocals, piano, percussion) are the duo that make up Last Chance Runaround. Based out of Atlanta, GA, the pair pooled their talents for a one-off tribute to the band Winter Hours; that collaboration revealed a bit of magic and more songs (originals) followed. The resulting full-length album, Alter Idem, is a gorgeous record of Alt. Folk that could nestle itself among the finer classic Woodstock era folk ensembles. Add in a healthy dose of early REM, mix in everything The Beatles taught us via a Byrds style presentation with a whiff of Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven, and pour it over the influence of Winter Hours to create a list of talents learned and mastered from that could go on and on.

Alter Idem is 12 tracks and 47 minutes of amazing interplay. Whether it is the interplay of Scott’s acoustic guitar strumming with Sue’s harp picking – a complementing chemistry that is excellently thought out and well executed throughout the album – or the interplay of their vocals – whether it’s their harmonizing or call and response – it continuously amazes and delights our aural expectations. Scott Roberts' stories, and the lyrics used to convey them in LCR’s musical expression of quality songs that are impeccably arranged, bring delight to all our artistic senses. Not only do the songs provide instantly catchy and singable choruses, but also plenty of musical hooks, especially the ones that Sue Volkert’s harp provides throughout the album. Harp hooks hitting the brain – intense.

Last Chance Runaround has produced an Alt. Folk album that draws from every viable modern day folk influence (from ’65 on – thus the modern prefix), wraps it in chamber pop, and squeezes it into our brain like a slushy in summer, before it melts its way slowly through our being to make our soul smile.

Alter Idem: “the same, but different” or “second self”
Last Chance Runaround: “the same, but different” or “second self” - Independisc

Last Chance Runaround
Alter Idem
(Turtle's Pace)

www.lastchancerunaround.com


They had me at the first jangle.

How often do you fall utterly and permanently under the spell of a pop album after just a song or two? Some records are like that, though; among those janglers I count as timeless, there's Boylan Heights (The Connells, 1987), New Miserable Experience (Gin Blossoms, 1992), The Backyard (Miracle Legion, 1984), and Wait Till the Morning (Winter Hours, 1986). And if you're familiar with any of those titles, you'll most likely find the one at hand to hold meaning and resonance.

Last Chance Runaround is an Atlanta area duo, songwriter/guitarist Scott Roberts and harpist (not harmonica) Sue Volkert; the Winter Hours mention, above, isn't just incidental, as the band actually takes its name from a line in a W.H. song. Both musicians sing, with Roberts generally taking the lead and Volkert supplying angelic harmonies, and both handle additional instrumentation so the studio recordings have a full-band feel. They've been around since the middle of the last decade, issuing an EP and gradually amassing a devoted following regionally and in a few other locales. It's not hard to hear why, and with the release of Alter Idem ("the same, but different") there's no question their lush, luminous sound will find a wider audience.

The album's an engaging mix of originals and some well-chosen covers - among the latter, a delightful reworking of "Cast A Shadow" that, with Volkert taking lead, actually surpasses the Beat Happening version; Let It Be gem "Two Of Us," a natural fit for a pair that harmonize so perfectly together; and two Winter Hours (well, of course) tunes, the upbeat "At A Turtle's Pace" (which was included on last year's W.H. tribute A Few Uneven Rhymes) and the fragile, hypnotic "Hyacinth Girl" (anyone who fell in love with that song a quarter-century ago, be prepared to be smitten anew). Roberts' own compositions hold up to close inspection, too, from the Gene Clark-like "The Sun Came Down," a showcase for his formidable pipes, to the yearning, deeply sensual "Lonely More," which pushes Volkert's harp and keys to the forefront to great effect.

And then there's that first jangle.

Alter Idem opens on a bedspring of minimalist organ, then Roberts unfurls the sweetest plangent riff this side of "Gardening at Night," "Found Out About You" or "She Don't Care About Time." The song is "Fingers Crossed," and against a backdrop of strums, organ, tambourine and a reassuringly midtempo pulse, Roberts sings, with a twinned measure of hope and trepidation creeping into his delivery, "Keeping my fingers crossed/ That I won't make the same mistake again/ Time after time/ I made my bed/ And now I'm lying in it/ One more chance/ And I would feel better/ Making endless vows/ That I can't forget her." Volkert's voice rises to meet his on the chorus, a sonic metaphor suggesting how lovers come together and fall apart - a real lump in throat moment that only a curmudgeon would try to deny.

It's moments like that - and yeah, those first jangles - that devotees of well-crafted, deeply emotional pop live for. Artists such as Last Chance Runaround instinctively grasp this potency of nuance, and as a result, for the rest of us this cruel ol' world's just a bit warmer, brighter and easier to navigate.

Standout Tracks: "Fingers Crossed," "Hyacinth Girl," "Lonely More" FRED MILLS - Blurt Magazine

Last Chance Runaround
Alter Idem
(Turtle's Pace)

www.lastchancerunaround.com


They had me at the first jangle.

How often do you fall utterly and permanently under the spell of a pop album after just a song or two? Some records are like that, though; among those janglers I count as timeless, there's Boylan Heights (The Connells, 1987), New Miserable Experience (Gin Blossoms, 1992), The Backyard (Miracle Legion, 1984), and Wait Till the Morning (Winter Hours, 1986). And if you're familiar with any of those titles, you'll most likely find the one at hand to hold meaning and resonance.

Last Chance Runaround is an Atlanta area duo, songwriter/guitarist Scott Roberts and harpist (not harmonica) Sue Volkert; the Winter Hours mention, above, isn't just incidental, as the band actually takes its name from a line in a W.H. song. Both musicians sing, with Roberts generally taking the lead and Volkert supplying angelic harmonies, and both handle additional instrumentation so the studio recordings have a full-band feel. They've been around since the middle of the last decade, issuing an EP and gradually amassing a devoted following regionally and in a few other locales. It's not hard to hear why, and with the release of Alter Idem ("the same, but different") there's no question their lush, luminous sound will find a wider audience.

The album's an engaging mix of originals and some well-chosen covers - among the latter, a delightful reworking of "Cast A Shadow" that, with Volkert taking lead, actually surpasses the Beat Happening version; Let It Be gem "Two Of Us," a natural fit for a pair that harmonize so perfectly together; and two Winter Hours (well, of course) tunes, the upbeat "At A Turtle's Pace" (which was included on last year's W.H. tribute A Few Uneven Rhymes) and the fragile, hypnotic "Hyacinth Girl" (anyone who fell in love with that song a quarter-century ago, be prepared to be smitten anew). Roberts' own compositions hold up to close inspection, too, from the Gene Clark-like "The Sun Came Down," a showcase for his formidable pipes, to the yearning, deeply sensual "Lonely More," which pushes Volkert's harp and keys to the forefront to great effect.

And then there's that first jangle.

Alter Idem opens on a bedspring of minimalist organ, then Roberts unfurls the sweetest plangent riff this side of "Gardening at Night," "Found Out About You" or "She Don't Care About Time." The song is "Fingers Crossed," and against a backdrop of strums, organ, tambourine and a reassuringly midtempo pulse, Roberts sings, with a twinned measure of hope and trepidation creeping into his delivery, "Keeping my fingers crossed/ That I won't make the same mistake again/ Time after time/ I made my bed/ And now I'm lying in it/ One more chance/ And I would feel better/ Making endless vows/ That I can't forget her." Volkert's voice rises to meet his on the chorus, a sonic metaphor suggesting how lovers come together and fall apart - a real lump in throat moment that only a curmudgeon would try to deny.

It's moments like that - and yeah, those first jangles - that devotees of well-crafted, deeply emotional pop live for. Artists such as Last Chance Runaround instinctively grasp this potency of nuance, and as a result, for the rest of us this cruel ol' world's just a bit warmer, brighter and easier to navigate.

Standout Tracks: "Fingers Crossed," "Hyacinth Girl," "Lonely More" FRED MILLS - Blurt Magazine

9/29/2010
Last Chance Runaround.
First three adjectives that come to mind when listening to this album:
Bittersweet
Upbeat
Intriguing

Three favorite songs on album:
Lonely More
Cast A Shadow
Two of Us

Alter Idem by Last Chance Runaround is a rock album seasoned with bits of traditional folk and pop. The duo, Scott Roberts and Sue Volkert, have created a solid foundation of an album with its guitar driven tracks and surprisingly beautiful harp-guitar duets.

Tracks like "Lonely More," are vaguely reminiscent of artists like Wilco, minus their (Wilco's, that is) overextended moodiness. "Lonely More" is bittersweet yet full and vibrant.

The other two songs that ended up being amongst my favorites are covers—"Two of Us" and "Cast A Shadow"—the latter of which showcases Sue's impressive vintage pop style vocals. This track has a similar feel to the dreamy 60's female surf rock that is currently being made by musicians like Best Coast and Vivian Girls.

Alter Idem is an entertaining and straightforward record. The members of Last Chance Runaround definitely have talent, vocals, and technical abilities. The only problem that Alter Idem runs up against is that its tracks sound pretty similar throughout. It's consistent but maybe a little too much at times.

Q&A: (With Scott Roberts of Last Chance Runaround)
1. Who or what is your musical inspiration?
Generally speaking, when I was a little kid, I saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and I KNEW then that singing songs and playing guitar (preferably in front of screaming girls!) would be my destiny. I also listened to a lot of traditional folk music as a kid, then later to British Invasion (especially The Kinks) and then new wave and "college-rock" stuff in the '80s (Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, XTC, The Jam, REM, etc.). Since I've been in bands myself, my main goal is always to write the perfect 3-minute pop song--but with meaning and depth ; ).

2. How long has LCR been together?
Sue and I started playing together in late 2005 and we formed a friendship and kind of spiritual bond over our mutual love for a New Jersey jangle-pop band from the '80s called Winter Hours. We kind of started with the idea that we just wanted to keep their music alive and then went on to start creating our own music from there. In fact our name comes from the lyric in one of their songs, "Broken Little Man" (which we play live fairly regularly).

3. What is the theme/motivation behind this album?
I didn't really have a theme in mind but there seems to be a natural thread in lots of my songs about loss and how to deal with it. Not always the easiest stuff to dance to ; ).

4. What's the best venue you've ever played?
Form me personally it was The Variety Playhouse in Atlanta--I opened for Iris DeMent in 1994 during my solo singer/songwriter phase (1992--2005). For LCR, our most memorable gig was playing at an art gallery in Maplewood, New Jersey as part of the release party for the Winter Hours tribute CD "A Few Uneven Rhymes." We contributed the song "At a Turtle's Pace" (a different version of which is also on "Alter Idem") and we got to play that song and a couple of others with Winter Hours' founder Michael Carlucci, a great guy and a guitar hero of mine.

5. Favorite music format? Compact disc, vinyl, or mp3?
I'd have to say CD because I like the tangibility of it over an mp3 (a friend of mine once pointed out that you can't have an artist autograph an mp3!), but I grew up with vinyl so I'll always have a soft spot for that and I like hearing about its impending comeback for this generation.

6. Favorite album of the moment?
I've loved Liz Phair's "Somebody's Miracle" this entire summer, and went to see Laura Veirs last week and have been listening a lot to her "July Flame" album.

7. What's next for LCR?
We're playing in Orlando again next week (we played there in March) with our pals The BellTowers and we're still playing here as often as we can to try to coerce people to fall in love with us. We'd like to travel to all the cities our friends live in and we hope to release another EP next spring.

Album design:
Unfortunately, the album design feels dated. The fonts aren't particularly incredible nor is the parchment paper type overlay. Given the quality of the music, the album design feels sub-par. - Online Music Blog

9/29/2010
Last Chance Runaround.
First three adjectives that come to mind when listening to this album:
Bittersweet
Upbeat
Intriguing

Three favorite songs on album:
Lonely More
Cast A Shadow
Two of Us

Alter Idem by Last Chance Runaround is a rock album seasoned with bits of traditional folk and pop. The duo, Scott Roberts and Sue Volkert, have created a solid foundation of an album with its guitar driven tracks and surprisingly beautiful harp-guitar duets.

Tracks like "Lonely More," are vaguely reminiscent of artists like Wilco, minus their (Wilco's, that is) overextended moodiness. "Lonely More" is bittersweet yet full and vibrant.

The other two songs that ended up being amongst my favorites are covers—"Two of Us" and "Cast A Shadow"—the latter of which showcases Sue's impressive vintage pop style vocals. This track has a similar feel to the dreamy 60's female surf rock that is currently being made by musicians like Best Coast and Vivian Girls.

Alter Idem is an entertaining and straightforward record. The members of Last Chance Runaround definitely have talent, vocals, and technical abilities. The only problem that Alter Idem runs up against is that its tracks sound pretty similar throughout. It's consistent but maybe a little too much at times.

Q&A: (With Scott Roberts of Last Chance Runaround)
1. Who or what is your musical inspiration?
Generally speaking, when I was a little kid, I saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and I KNEW then that singing songs and playing guitar (preferably in front of screaming girls!) would be my destiny. I also listened to a lot of traditional folk music as a kid, then later to British Invasion (especially The Kinks) and then new wave and "college-rock" stuff in the '80s (Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, XTC, The Jam, REM, etc.). Since I've been in bands myself, my main goal is always to write the perfect 3-minute pop song--but with meaning and depth ; ).

2. How long has LCR been together?
Sue and I started playing together in late 2005 and we formed a friendship and kind of spiritual bond over our mutual love for a New Jersey jangle-pop band from the '80s called Winter Hours. We kind of started with the idea that we just wanted to keep their music alive and then went on to start creating our own music from there. In fact our name comes from the lyric in one of their songs, "Broken Little Man" (which we play live fairly regularly).

3. What is the theme/motivation behind this album?
I didn't really have a theme in mind but there seems to be a natural thread in lots of my songs about loss and how to deal with it. Not always the easiest stuff to dance to ; ).

4. What's the best venue you've ever played?
Form me personally it was The Variety Playhouse in Atlanta--I opened for Iris DeMent in 1994 during my solo singer/songwriter phase (1992--2005). For LCR, our most memorable gig was playing at an art gallery in Maplewood, New Jersey as part of the release party for the Winter Hours tribute CD "A Few Uneven Rhymes." We contributed the song "At a Turtle's Pace" (a different version of which is also on "Alter Idem") and we got to play that song and a couple of others with Winter Hours' founder Michael Carlucci, a great guy and a guitar hero of mine.

5. Favorite music format? Compact disc, vinyl, or mp3?
I'd have to say CD because I like the tangibility of it over an mp3 (a friend of mine once pointed out that you can't have an artist autograph an mp3!), but I grew up with vinyl so I'll always have a soft spot for that and I like hearing about its impending comeback for this generation.

6. Favorite album of the moment?
I've loved Liz Phair's "Somebody's Miracle" this entire summer, and went to see Laura Veirs last week and have been listening a lot to her "July Flame" album.

7. What's next for LCR?
We're playing in Orlando again next week (we played there in March) with our pals The BellTowers and we're still playing here as often as we can to try to coerce people to fall in love with us. We'd like to travel to all the cities our friends live in and we hope to release another EP next spring.

Album design:
Unfortunately, the album design feels dated. The fonts aren't particularly incredible nor is the parchment paper type overlay. Given the quality of the music, the album design feels sub-par. - Online Music Blog

Alter Idem: The Return of Scott Roberts

If anyone told me I'd receive one of the best albums of 2009 within two weeks of the end of the year, my “Bah! Humbug!” scoff would have rivaled that of Ebeneezer Scrooge himself. After all, who would put out that kind of showstopper when everyone's already written their Top 10 lists? But I was handed the latest album from the duo called Last Chance Runaround just a week before Christmas, and to my delight, discovered it to be one of the best surprises I've had all year.

No stranger to collaboration, Atlanta singer/songwriter Scott Roberts has again teamed up with harpist Sue Volkert for their second release, Alter Idem. What they have created is an album full of songs which are so listenable, so fluid and natural and easy, and just so darn likeable – it's the kind of album that makes it all sound effortless. But don't be fooled – Roberts has been working on his craft for well over the past decade, and his growth as a songwriter is showcased here. The folksy/pop/ guitar foundation on which he's built his musical career has never been better than this – an outpouring of songs that are overflowing with heart and brilliantly crafted into a jewel of an album.

Alter Idem begins with a frivolous little wind-up intro that crashes into Roberts' characteristic, ambling guitar without any further ado, and was in itself so enjoyable I had to keep rewinding (or whatever it's called now) the CD to listen to it over and over. Instantly identifiable as a Scott Roberts tune, it is as comfortable and familiar as a cracked and worn leather chair from favorite childhood memories. But as nostalgic as this album might seem, these songs offer a freshness and songwriting achievement that clearly place it at the top of Roberts' creative endeavors since his 90's release, “In Lieu Of” I was curious, also - maybe even a little apprehensive - of the inclusion of the harp. Happily, it works: the plucked strings on “Lonely More” and “Oddly Enough” instill an earthiness that is rarely claimed by the lonely harp, having been pigeonholed into the ethereal realms of New Age and classical music. An added bonus is Sue Volkert's simple, clean harmonizing, which works beautifully throughout the album to warm Roberts' rust-colored vocals like an infusion of blossom honey.

But the real star of the show is Scott Roberts' songwriting genius. Thoughtful melodies drift into an absolutely listenable pairing of guitar and harp, and bound together with the sentimental lyrics that are one of Roberts' signatures. “The Sun Came Down” is easily one of the album's best tracks, with props to the REM-ish “Lonely More” and the achingly wistful “Cold Dead Quiet”. “Cast A Shadow” - one of the handful of songs not written by Roberts - puts Volkert's vocals in the spotlight. Her voice is at once unique and at the same time, maddeningly familiar. It's a lovely surprise and fits perfectly with the rest of the album's format and style.

Upon receiving this CD, I was told “It's the same jangly music...” but make no mistake: Alter Idem is filled with a tenderness, simplicity, and genuineness that engages the listener, song after jangly song. It made me remember when artists could animate the contents of their hearts and somehow produce something magical and everlasting, in contrast to record company one-hit wonders and momentary stardom that dominate the music industry today. This album is a victory in Roberts' career, and well deserving of the recognition that has long eluded this singer-songwriter. I will listen to this album again and again. Idem, indeed.
- Music Review - Suzy Stout

Alter Idem: The Return of Scott Roberts

If anyone told me I'd receive one of the best albums of 2009 within two weeks of the end of the year, my “Bah! Humbug!” scoff would have rivaled that of Ebeneezer Scrooge himself. After all, who would put out that kind of showstopper when everyone's already written their Top 10 lists? But I was handed the latest album from the duo called Last Chance Runaround just a week before Christmas, and to my delight, discovered it to be one of the best surprises I've had all year.

No stranger to collaboration, Atlanta singer/songwriter Scott Roberts has again teamed up with harpist Sue Volkert for their second release, Alter Idem. What they have created is an album full of songs which are so listenable, so fluid and natural and easy, and just so darn likeable – it's the kind of album that makes it all sound effortless. But don't be fooled – Roberts has been working on his craft for well over the past decade, and his growth as a songwriter is showcased here. The folksy/pop/ guitar foundation on which he's built his musical career has never been better than this – an outpouring of songs that are overflowing with heart and brilliantly crafted into a jewel of an album.

Alter Idem begins with a frivolous little wind-up intro that crashes into Roberts' characteristic, ambling guitar without any further ado, and was in itself so enjoyable I had to keep rewinding (or whatever it's called now) the CD to listen to it over and over. Instantly identifiable as a Scott Roberts tune, it is as comfortable and familiar as a cracked and worn leather chair from favorite childhood memories. But as nostalgic as this album might seem, these songs offer a freshness and songwriting achievement that clearly place it at the top of Roberts' creative endeavors since his 90's release, “In Lieu Of” I was curious, also - maybe even a little apprehensive - of the inclusion of the harp. Happily, it works: the plucked strings on “Lonely More” and “Oddly Enough” instill an earthiness that is rarely claimed by the lonely harp, having been pigeonholed into the ethereal realms of New Age and classical music. An added bonus is Sue Volkert's simple, clean harmonizing, which works beautifully throughout the album to warm Roberts' rust-colored vocals like an infusion of blossom honey.

But the real star of the show is Scott Roberts' songwriting genius. Thoughtful melodies drift into an absolutely listenable pairing of guitar and harp, and bound together with the sentimental lyrics that are one of Roberts' signatures. “The Sun Came Down” is easily one of the album's best tracks, with props to the REM-ish “Lonely More” and the achingly wistful “Cold Dead Quiet”. “Cast A Shadow” - one of the handful of songs not written by Roberts - puts Volkert's vocals in the spotlight. Her voice is at once unique and at the same time, maddeningly familiar. It's a lovely surprise and fits perfectly with the rest of the album's format and style.

Upon receiving this CD, I was told “It's the same jangly music...” but make no mistake: Alter Idem is filled with a tenderness, simplicity, and genuineness that engages the listener, song after jangly song. It made me remember when artists could animate the contents of their hearts and somehow produce something magical and everlasting, in contrast to record company one-hit wonders and momentary stardom that dominate the music industry today. This album is a victory in Roberts' career, and well deserving of the recognition that has long eluded this singer-songwriter. I will listen to this album again and again. Idem, indeed.
- Music Review - Suzy Stout

Last Chance Runaround worship at the altar of Winter Hours. A song by the earnest, New Jersey-based '80s janglers provides this Atlanta couple with their group name, LCR contributed a track ("At a Turtle's Pace") to 2008's Winter Hours tribute CD A Few Uneven Rhymes, they cover another ("Hyacinth Girl") on their own new album, Alter Idem, and thank Winter Hours in the credits, "without whom none of this would have ever been explored." In case you hadn't figured it out, the album bears the unmistakable influence of Winter Hours (!), along with period peers like The Feelies (Good Earth era), R.E.M. (Fables), Translator, Dreams So Real, Downy Mildew, etc. If such sounds still stir your cockles, chances are you'll appreciate Alter Idem. Live, without the benefit of overdubs, the duo of Scott Roberts and Sue Volkert makes a sparser sound, which you can readily experience at their CD release party Saturday, Feb. 27 at Alcove Gallery in Avondale Estates. - Stomp and Stammer

Last Chance Runaround worship at the altar of Winter Hours. A song by the earnest, New Jersey-based '80s janglers provides this Atlanta couple with their group name, LCR contributed a track ("At a Turtle's Pace") to 2008's Winter Hours tribute CD A Few Uneven Rhymes, they cover another ("Hyacinth Girl") on their own new album, Alter Idem, and thank Winter Hours in the credits, "without whom none of this would have ever been explored." In case you hadn't figured it out, the album bears the unmistakable influence of Winter Hours (!), along with period peers like The Feelies (Good Earth era), R.E.M. (Fables), Translator, Dreams So Real, Downy Mildew, etc. If such sounds still stir your cockles, chances are you'll appreciate Alter Idem. Live, without the benefit of overdubs, the duo of Scott Roberts and Sue Volkert makes a sparser sound, which you can readily experience at their CD release party Saturday, Feb. 27 at Alcove Gallery in Avondale Estates. - Stomp and Stammer