Lovely Creatures finds
Bob Schneider doing what he does best: ruminating over failed relationships, courting new ones, and pitching his baritone vocals over a mixed bag of pop/rock, folk, and mambo arrangements. Those who love
Schneider's versatility have a lot to explore here, as the wide-ranging track list rarely dwells on one genre. The album's two Latin-inspired tracks, "Bombanaza" and "Tarantula," find room for brassy horns and feverish hand percussion, while songs like "The Bringdown" and "Your Head Holds Gold, Your Heart Holds Diamonds" channel the beach-bum strut of Jack Johnson. The midtempo numbers are where the songwriter truly sounds like himself, though, whether he's dueting with
Patty Griffin on the gorgeously sad "Changing Your Mind," or chasing after mainstream radio with "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)." ~ Andrew Leahey