Track Listing

1. Longer You Wait, The
2. Barely Losing
3. Montgomery Park
4. (Walter's On The Lam)
5. Through
6. (Postcard From California)
7. Two Broken Hearts
8. Hallway
9. (Postcard Written With A Broken Hand)
10. Post To Wire
11. Polaroid
12. Always On The Ride
13. (Postcard Postmarked Phoenix, AZ)
14. Allison Johnson
15. Willamette
16. Valediction

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #58101 in Music
• Released on: 2005-04-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Album Description
"Post To Wire" was acknowledged as the #4 Album Of The Year by UK magazine Uncut, beating out The Libertines, U2, Interpol, and The Streets, and was labeled "a dark, mesmerizing masterpiece". Willy Vlautin's writing has been compared to that of legendary writer Raymond Carver, and The Replacements are one of the band's most important influences. Look for them on tour this spring, kicking off at South By Southwest.

Mojo
"[W]ith tunes aplenty, their art is very much in the right place."

Customer Reviews

Very Good
Clever and amusing concept having the "Dear Pete" letters peppering this wonderful set of tracks. Post To Wire stands out as the most likable cut, but many others as well. World weary, forlorn, gritty, and occasionally gloomy, but heartfelt songs.

Possibly Best Americana Album of 04
I know it's early and great things may still be released by many reputable bands, yet this album deserves distinct and strong recognition, as expressed on the title of this review.
Willy Vlautin and the rest of Richmond Fontaine have managed to put together an absolute beauty of a album, gorgeous country ballads and rocking chronicles of forgotten people through the land.
Imagine if Raymond Carver, still young, had decided to form a band and sing about what he was beginning to see, rather than writing exquisite short-stories.
The comparison is particularly poignant in the interludes between songs -referred as "postcards" on tracks 4,6,9&13- but it's not limited to these short tellings. Exquisite examples of Richmond Fontayne's weary wisdon and weathered compassion are "Barely Losing," "Two Broken Hearts," "Hallway," "Polaroid," or "Valediction,"
Vlautin may not be the only person out there who's seen what life can do to some people, people who did not deserve the lack of luck they were dealt, yet Vlautin has the rare gift of crafting words and melodies for what he sees that makes the misery and the loss, sheer poetry.

Raymond Carver Was an Alcoholic Jerk
for most of his life but Willy Vlautin writes just as well, sings, and seems like a really nice guy.

I'd disagree with all of the other reviewers in that I think Willamette is the standout track on this great collection. I say this with some conviction because I saw them perform it live two nights ago in Portland. It's the closest thing to "The End" you may ever find in a genre that doesn't normally permit a lot of emotional bandwidth.

So, in short, buy this CD. Buy the live CD that they said they were making when I saw them two nights ago, and buy Willy Vlautin's books so they can all afford Nudies suits and guitars that weren't made in South Korea.