Amplifier Magazine, March 2001
Rick Schadelbauer

On the back cover of  I’m Hearing Things, a grinning Henry Gross poses amidst
dozens of guitars of every conceivable shape, size and manufacture. On the disc itself, it seems Gross makes fine use of every single one (plus ukulele, kazoo and sitar to boot.). The end result is an absolute delight of an unpretentious pop album which finds Gross effortlessly leaping from genre to genre to genre, yet results in a surprisingly (and delightfully) cohesive whole.

I’m Hearing Things features some of the best material of Gross’ career. The proto-power pop “I’m Not Myself” recalls fellow Nashville resident Bill Lloyd, while “Above the Rain” and “Fixing Your Broken Heart” invoke Beatles John and Paul, respectively. Gross’ voice is in fine form, though his trademark falsetto appears less frequently than in the old days. Best of all, his oft-overlooked guitar prowess shines throughout, from the Telecaster twang of “Lucky Me” to the Rickenbacker jangle of “Mona Lisa Smile.” And on the breezy “Since I’ve Been Loving You” (co-written with Clive Gregson), Gross’ tasty guitar work hints of Rockpile-era Dave Edmunds.

Some records try to grab the listener’s attention with flash and histrionics; others let the music do the talking. Place I’m Hearing Things in the latter category — miss it at your own peril.

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