''Welcome, Convalescence'' is the second album by South San Gabriel, recorded at

Slobberbone Slobberbone is an American alt-country band from Denton, Texas, led by singer-songwriter Brent Best, Cody Garcia, Tony Harper, and Brian Lane. Best continues to tour as a solo act, performing both songs by Slobberbone and The Drams, and songs fro ...

singer Brent Best's Denton house in January 2002 and released in April 2003 by Munich Records.South San Gabriel - Welcome, Convalescence
, '' No Depression'', April 30, 2003. Retrieved September 23, 2017 The album features all of the members of singer Will Johnson's main band,

Centro-Matic Centro-matic was an American band based in Denton, Texas. History Centro-matic started in 1995 as a side-project for Will Johnson. It released a few singles that year and grew into a full-fledged group in 1997. The initial 60 songs recorded ...

, as well as Best on guitars and Joe Butcher of Pleasant Grove on

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings, enabling more varied and complex music to be played than with other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play ...

.Schacht, John
''Welcome, Convalescence'' Review
,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

. Retrieved September 23, 2017

Reception

reviewer John Schacht gave it a 4-star review, calling it "one of those brilliantly despondent records so gorgeously executed it lifts your spirit just to be able to feel its sadness", and "a melancholic masterpiece". '' No Depression'' commented on its "beautifully languid melodies that exert a subtle, hypnotic pull", stating "Quiet desperation rarely sounds this enchanting." The ''

Austin Chronicle Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

s Michael Chamy gave it three and a half stars, stating "all eight tracks are winners" and describing it as "the summer album you want to hear while nestled up to the air-conditioner after coming in from the 100-degree heat. The definition of cool." The ''

Manchester Evening News The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 20 ...

'' gave it a more mixed review, stating "like the eponymous river, too much of this album just flows by murkily". The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' was similarly ambivalent, stating "Will Johnson's songs are undeniably pretty, but the slow pace and his affected, sleepy drawl can be distracting."Klein, Joshua (2003)
South San Gabriel Welcome, Convalescence
, ''

'', July 3, 2003. Retrieved September 23, 2017

Track listing

# "New Brookland" # "Saint Augustine" # "Smelling Medicinal" # "Everglades" # "Like a Madman" # "Evangline" # "Ariza/284" # "The Splinter Angelic"

Personnel

* Will Johnson - vocals, guitars * Scott Danbom - vocals, keyboards, violin * Mark Hedman - bass, guitars *

Matt Pence Matthew Louis Pence (born April 13, 1972) is an American recording engineer, producer, and drummer. He owns and manages The Echo Lab studio in Denton, Texas. Early life and education Pence is from St. Louis, Missouri. In 1990, Pence moved to Den ...

- drums, keyboards * Brent Best - guitars * Bryan Vandivier - guitars * Joe Butcher - pedal steel guitar, organ, mellotron

References

{{Authority control Centro-Matic albums 2003 albums