Are you lot getting into him? I read a very hyped piece on him and his crazy habits of leaving cds around his home town and inviting people to phone him etc.

his songs stand up though, this one reminds me of the first time I heard 'Oxygen' by Willy Mason
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3xpSYTdxlA

this one's a lovely sparse soul one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9IbU1LM6B8

and then the one at the bottom of this is something different altogether
http://www.nme.com/news/willis-earl-beal/61885

...and Pitchfork have just done a big feature on him
http://pitchfork.com/features/rising/8767-willis-earl-beal/

think I'll reserve judgement until I see him on tour, but what's your impressions? Overhyped? Genius? something in between?