Always pining for a rustic American past,
Langhorne Slim
ups the ante with his old-timey obsessions on
Lost at Last, Vol. 1
. Often sounding as if it's designed as a respite from the digital clamor of modern living,
is filled with loose ends and mess. The rhythms rollick; the harmonies sometimes don't quite mesh; and there are hopping squeezeboxes, the occasional saloon piano, and a bunch of front-porch strumming -- all signifiers of a different time and place. As a vibe, it's appealing, enough so that it still sounds good when the songs don't catch hold, which is a little too often for a singer/songwriter deep into his career. Even if
can't come up with the tunes to suit his sound, that sound is bewitching enough to make
worth a listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine