may have been influenced by musicians such as , but probably isn't what people who are unfamiliar with 's oeuvre would expect from a record. There isn't someone like pedal steel player (who appeared on some of 's previous recordings) around to remind people of 's roots; instead, has teamed up with drummer ( , ) and bassist ), both of whom have backgrounds in . Furthermore, vocalist appears on two tracks (the only ones that aren't instrumentals): the and the original (with lyrics by and ) Meanwhile, 's Telecaster playing alternates between twangy, bluesy, bouncy, soulful, ominous (particularly on the impressive ), and sedate (particularly on the dull cover version of ' ). deserves credit for not having a cookie-cutter sound, and he demonstrates that playing skillfully but simply with both feeling and restraint is better than getting carried away with ostentatious displays of technique. All of the album's tracks were recorded live in the studio, which probably contributes to the spontaneity of the performances; both 's knack for writing offbeat melodies and his rhythm section's ace support help make this album a pleasant listening experience. ~ Todd Kristel