Philadelphia's best-kept secret excels on elegant seventh
Despite a recording career lasting a decade, Parsons has probably slipped beneath most radars, aside a rather decent cover of Dylan's "Jokerman". Heavens Above, then, is something of a quiet yearning Americana with a dash of REM at their more reflective, and a voice that pines like early James Taylor, while the sense of place that pervades his songwriting brings to mind Sufjan Stevens. The title track, a very human story about Hurricane Katrina, is a stand-out but the string-laden "Children In The Sun" and the limpid "Anyone" are even better.
Nigel Williamson - UNCUT (UK) (Dec, 2008)