Opening slowly with the dark, swampy reveals an assured , a band that has found its voice between their first and second album. It's not just that announces that has discovered its sound -- it reveals the extent of 's myth-making. With this song, he sketches out his persona; it makes him sound as if he crawled out of the backwoods of Louisiana instead of being a native San Franciscan. He carries this illusion throughout the record, through the ominous meanderings of through the stoked cover of to which rides out a southern-fried groove for nearly eight minutes. At the heart of , as well as 's myth and 's entire career, is A riverboat tale where the narrator leaves a good job in the city for a life rolling down the river, the song is filled with details that ring so true that it feels autobiographical. The lyric is married to music that is utterly unique yet curiously timeless, blending rockabilly, country, and R&B into something utterly distinctive and addictive. is the emotional fulcrum at the center of 's seductive imaginary Americana, and while it's the best song here, his other songs are no slouch, either. is a magnificent piece of swamp-rock, is a first-rate rocker with the angry undertow apparent on and is a minor masterpiece, thanks to its tough acoustic foundation, sterling guitar work, and clever story. All the songs add up to a superb statement of purpose, a record that captures 's muscular, spare, deceptively simple sound as an evocative portrait of America. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine