Album Reviews

The Homeless Gospel Choir used to be a one-man project, but on “I Used To Be So Young” Pittsburgh’s Derek Zanetti surrounded himself with a full band. It makes for a richer sound, which is always a good thing. Other than that, things haven’t really changed… Zanetti is still protesting against everything he doesn’t like with fairly simple, straight-forward lyrics that get his points across loud and clear. All this is wrapped up on fairly simple, straight-forward tunes that are as folky as they are punky.

The songs on “I Used To Be So Young” are not too shabby even if things get a bit monotonous towards the end. Sure, a country-tinged song like “When The War Is Over” adds a little diversity but there’s still room for improvement. Simplicity can be a beautiful thing but ultimately this album lacks a lasting appeal. Maybe next time. For now the best thing about The Homeless Gospel Choir is still the band name.