I agree with this to a point, but EV solo tracks just register with such little significance to me -- I feel like there have been so many of them over the past 10 years, and they've all just gone in one ear and out the other. We're all raking "The Haves" across the coals, but if I'm honest it doesn't really feel that much worse to me than most of what he's been peddling since 2012, and that includes EV-centric PJ songs like "Future Days" and "River Cross," as well as PJ-leaning EV songs like "Brother the Cloud." All of it is more or less the same to me; his writing style, his musical sensibilities, when given center stage, all equalize for me in roughly the same generally unremarkable space. Little things about each song that may seem especially egregious (i.e. comparing his partner to a siamese twin, Ghostbusters references, etc.) just register as momentary spikes on an otherwise flatlining monitor.

I still, and probably always will, listen to new PJ music with curious ears, and sometimes a "Buckle Up" or a "Take the Long Way" or a "Get It Back" still manages to surprise and delight me. If not, no big deal. But even with tempered expectations, I always look forward to seeing what they come up with.

FWIW, I think the EV song that I still find the most ludicrous is his rewrite of Phil Ochs's "Here's to the State of Mississippi." The ultra-literal, artless zenith of his "three chords and the truth" phase.

I love both ITW and Uke songs and I think to pretend there hasn't been a significant drop in quality of Ed songs since is preposterous

I still think every PJ album are way better than any of the solo releases, with the exception of LB. Both Bayleaf and Moonlander are better than LB for sure, and im inclined to think that Into The Wild and Heaven/Hell too.

I'd put Bayleaf, Moonlander and Heaven/Hell above both Backspacer and Lightning Bolt. I'd probably put Bayleaf of S/T as well.

Except what’s in Flag Day - his songs are all good if I remember correctly.

I'm not going to change your mind by saying "wow, you compared The Haves to River Cross?!" but I had to do it anyway

S/T and Backspacer are both better than those to time.

Its just LB thats below them in my book.

I expected Ed solo stuff to be at least on par with PJ stuff, but that hasn't been the case. Oh well.

nah

I’m super curious to know what Jeff thinks about it

I get comparing The Haves to Future Days...i think that's totally fair. But River Cross, to me at least, is significantly better than those other turds.

I love both ITW and Uke songs and I think to pretend there hasn't been a significant drop in quality of Ed songs since is preposterous

yes, its a fact.

Its nature.

i'm counting on jeff to put this watt guy in his place if anything goes sideways in the studio.