Music for Films, the debut album from San Antonio's Jared Putnam (formerly of The Conversation) and company, leaves the listener lost in the anticipation of something it never fully delivers. A record of partial hits and total misses, Music for Films seems to hint at a promise somewhere in between the melodramatic pop-punk of Cursive and the introspective indie folk-pop of (and this is a stretch) Elliott Smith. The problem is, Putnam — who wrote, produced, and did the bulk of the work on the songs — seems to be in a rush and his lyrics are a touch too ham-handed to live up to the bar set by his influences. In fact, the best moments on this record come when guest-musician Laura Wheeler sings.
★★ ½ (out of 5 stars)