's highly personal second solo effort, , showcases the guitarist's knack for writing beautifully plangent songs, even while dealing with difficult lyrical subject matter (in this case, his divorce). Not quite as hard-rocking as the average LP, features, fittingly, the more downbeat and melancholy side of 's songwriting style (exemplified by the tunes and ); gorgeous tracks like the swirling and the driving but bittersweet are carried along more by 's clear yet vulnerable singing style and well-constructed melodies than by his guitar. Still, 's slashing, visceral six-string tone and impeccable soloing crop up periodically to punctuate the clearly painful emotional content of the songs. ~ Andy Hinds