Richard X. Heyman - Cornerstone (1998)

After being dropped by Sire/Warner Bros. in 1991, Richard X. Heyman went six long years before recording another CD. When his third album, the superb Cornerstone, was released, it was clear that the New Yorker's singing and writing hadn't deteriorated a bit during his absence from the studio. Heyman's influences still ranged from Elvis Costello and Tom Petty to the Byrds, and continued to demonstrate how rewarding power-pop and jangly guitar rock can be on songs ranging from the dispirited "Out of My Hands" and the nostalgic "When It Was Our Time" to the exuberant "Ask Anyone Who's Tried," the reflective "From This Day Forever," and the poignant "All I Have." On some of the songs, Heyman plays all of the instruments himself, and he is heard on everything from guitar, piano, and bass as well as drums. An artist this talented should not be neglected.