Presents Author Unknown

In an article for HuffPost, writer Tony Sachs describes the album's sound as combining “classic ‘60s songcraft, elements of ‘70s glam-rock, and the new-wave sheen of the ‘80s” while “sounding completely contemporary.”[1]

The album opens with the song “I Live” which Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic describes as “a cross between a mid-'70s Raspberries-like power pop sheen and a modernist approach.” The song is an “emotionally direct love song” that uses a descending melody for the chorus. Greenwald called the track “one of his finest, hook-laden rockers” and “one of the great pop moments of the 1990s.”[5]

After the tracks “Miracle Medicine” and “Hectified”, the album continues with the song “Don’t Show Me Heaven” that has been described as using “a comfortable, mid-tempo, power pop melodic base” and “an almost tribal, psychedelic rhythm and series of hooks” to create “an ominous atmosphere that is inescapable.” The song utilizes “ambient sounds, some classical piano flourishes, and an almost Pete Townshend-inspired chord progression” which creates what has been described as “a monolith of sound”. The song's lyrical composition has been interpreted to be about love, with flourishes of mortality and reincarnation.[6]

The song “Before My Heart Attacks” has been described as a mix between “pop, folk, and classical”. It has been compared to the early work of Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson. The lyrics pertain to isolation which is juxtaposed by the song's “subdued yet powerful string arrangement”.[7]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
The Austin Chronicle	[9]
Chicago Tribune	(positive)[10]

The album has received critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. Mindy Labernz of The Austin Chronicle described the album as "melodious, harmony-laden, and sumptuously produced." She continues by stating that, "His songs are not sanitized by their own perfection, nor do they bury emotions under layers of puns and fictions." To summarize, she says that "Falkner struggles not to make things too familiar. When he wants to seduce the listener, though, as on the wrenching "She Goes to Bed," he is epic. So is much of this album."[9] Brad Webber of the Chicago Tribune, states that Presents Author Unknown "harks to the days when albums were packed with great songs rather than one hit and filler." He continues by saying that "he also takes on a multitude of styles -- neopsychedelia to the near-psychotic." He finishes by saying the album "squarely establishes him as a one-man pop combo with great verve."[10] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Tim Sendra wrote, “Writing, producing, singing, and playing nearly everything except the occasional guitar overdub (and strings), Jason has released a one-man pop tour de force. Hooks abound and won't let you down. The more you listen, the more you'll find yourself humming along. Standout tracks include "I Go Astray" and "Don't Show Me Heaven," but all are worthy of a listen. It's good ol' pop music. Better still, it's good music.”[8]

Despite the album’s critical success, Author Unknown was a commercial disappointment.[11] Falkner has attributed this to a lack of proper promotion on behalf of his label, Elektra.[12] The label did not provide Falkner with a band to tour in promotion of the album.[1] In an article for The Guardian, Michael Hann argued that the album’s lack of success was due to the fact that Falkner was “...too pretty to be a proper rocker, too tough to be pop, too eccentric for the jocks, too straightforward for the arty people.”[11] After an attempt to be dropped by the label, Falkner was convinced to stay. Falkner eventually left the label after the release of his sophomore follow-up, Can You Still Feel?.[12]

All songs written and composed by Jason Falkner.

• Jason Falkner — vocals, instruments, string arrangements, mixing (tracks: 2, 4, 6 to 12), production
• Alain Johannes — guitar on “Miracle Medicine”
• Charlie Barnett — string arrangements
• Jack Joseph Puig — mixing (tracks: 1 and 4, assisted by Jack Champagne)
• Jim Ebert — mixing (tracks: 2, 4, 6 to 12)
• Arthur Smilios — mixing on “Hectified” (assisted by Doug Trantrow and Steve Fitzmaurice)
• Andrea Byers, David Stone, David Strenske, Larry Corbett, Nancy Roth, Norman Hughes, Peter Kent, Scott Haupert, and Suzie Katayama — string accompaniment

• Presents Author Unknown at Discogs (list of releases)