Bob Egan is one of the more underrated musicians when it comes to alt country or Americana circles. Yet this album, which looks at the bleaker side of life, is a rich and extremely thoughtful recording. The majestic introductory "An Airport Bar on Christmas Day" has some great pedal steel accents with Egan delivering the song in a deep, hushed monotone. In no hurry to conclude, the song is extremely pretty with many instrumental highlights. The song then evolves into a larger, bombastic and somewhat heady arrangement in the homestretch. From there, Egan, along with some assistance from Blue Rodeo bassist Bazil Donovan and Oh Susannah, shines on shorter pieces such as the haunting "Montreal" that feels complete despite being just under two minutes. Meanwhile, the artist hits gold with the tender, mid-tempo and inviting "Spalding's Lament" that strolls along as if it was influenced by Nick Cave circa "The Boatman's Call." It's a song that you can instantly get lost in. While the tone of the album isn't as poppy or upbeat as his previous release, Egan is more than capable of nailing these songs. A perfect example of this is the reflective, mournful "The Forgotten Waltz" that is only missing the vocals of Margo Timmins. The closest thing to pop on this album is the slightly up-tempo and shuffling "Learn to Love Again" that resembles something off Wilco's "Summerteeth." The first song that takes a bit longer to become endeared to is "Pleasantville Bar" which is a sullen and somber jazz-tinged number complete with trumpet and trombone. However, the album gets back to basics with a singer/songwriter effort dubbed "Virginia." The sleeper pick has to be "Drifting Too Far from the Shore" which contains a subtle Latin feel as Egan delivers his strongest vocal performance.
© Jason MacNeil /TiVo