Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

This album is one that hurts. The self-titled debut from A 750ml Affair is 49 minutes of loneliness, heartbreak, and heartache, with very little good stuff to even it all out. It’s difficult to imagine – or to put in words – the sadness expressed throughout the 12 tracks on this disc but, as always, I’ll do my best.

The group is led by veteran songwriter Gregory A. Rogers. In fact, Rogers is the group. He played every instrument, sang all of the vocals, mixed, produced, and more on this CD. Rogers also has some dedicated musicians who fill out the rest of the band for live shows, but it’s basically all him.

Sometimes there are artists that I get, and sometimes there are artists that I wonder and wonder about, without ever coming closer to an answer about who they are. Rogers – and A 750ml Affair by extension – is one of those artists. Sure, he has talent; but I can’t really comment on the music at a deeper level, because I have little to no right to do so. I know what the music means to me – but I don’t know what it means to Rogers, or what it will mean to you, for that matter. Just trust me that this is an album worth having.

It almost goes without saying, but this is a mellow disc. None of the songs hurt your ears, and that is a good thing (at least in this case). But you have to relate to the music on a deeper level to get it. Take A 750ml Affair for a spin, because you have nothing to lose. The worst that could happen is that you buy a disc full of great songs that you’ll listen to over and over and over and over and…I think that’s enough.