Following the example of his 2019 debut's untidy blend of country-rock, folk, and 1970s songwriter pop,
Dark Tea
's
Gary Canino
returns with a similarly easygoing tone and homespun spirit alongside more-personal lyrics on the also-titled
. Whereas the debut involved the participation of
Woods
'
Jarvis Taveniere
and
Hand Habit
Meg Duffy
, both of whom suggest an accurate sonic territory, the follow-up features songs produced by
Matt Barrick
of
the Walkmen
, an early inspiration of
Canino
's. Also contributing production in various recording locales were
Paco Cathcart
(
Eyes of Love
),
Ryan Howe
Punks on Mars
), and
Jason Quever
Papercuts
) as well as primary producer
Sasha Stroud
. It opens with the reassuringly ambling, country-steeped "Tears Down the Road," whose jaunty piano, drawling country bass, and touches of pedal steel underscore reflective lyrics that eventually give way to a wistful, acoustic instrumental outro. While much of the album dwells in a like-minded alternative country-rock, occasional divergences include the dreamy, keyboard-centric "U.S. Blues" and "Losing III," a more-anxious synth pop entry with idiosyncratic surrogate drum tones.
closes on the trippier "Finally on Time," a ballad vaguely descended from "Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane" with layered vocal harmonies, spacy delay, and -- counterbalancing the opener -- dreams of getting back on the road. Along the way, album highlights include the uptempo, twilight-hued "Highway Mile," whose bittersweet electric guitar solo is further tempered by soft fluegelhorn and cross-stick drum rhythms, and the epic "Down for the Law," which clocks in at over seven minutes. Throughout,
's conversational, melody-suggesting vocals offer the intimacy of fireside hangout even on the more jam-minded tunes. ~ Marcy Donelson