José González: "Stay In The Shade"

If you haven’t heard José González yet, you haven’t been reading music blogs, or, well, watching The O.C.. For the most part, you’re not missing much – González’s album Veneer spends too much time imitating Nick Drake’s Pink Moon to carve out his own identity. “Stay In The Shade” is one of the songs that distinguishes itself from the pack. Though the melody is typically half-formed Drake material (“Which Will” is probably the closest source), the track succeeds with its beat. It’s one of the rare González songs with percussion, and even though it’s just a touch, it gives his web of acoustic guitars enough momentum to start pulling away from comparisons. Now if only he’d stop opening vocal lines with a single drawn-out note...