Orange

has received a good deal more exposure after his move to N.Y.C. and subsequent association with . But to expect his own albums to sound like would be ignoring his 20-plus-year career as a guitar player. His own albums have been a mix of country, blues, jazz, and rock and as a sideman he's done everything from straight blues ( ) to indie rock ( ) to avant funk with (good luck finding that one). proves to be almost as far-reaching as his resume might indicate. comes charging out of the gate on with harmonics jumping out of his Telecaster-on-steroids throughout. adds a bit of menace and gets just plain nasty with some wickedly delightful detuning. But can play it pretty, too: sounds like a exercise with its delightful single-line runs, double stops, and rich chordal work, and is all jazz chords and brushwork on the drums. and feature some nice acoustic/electric work. could be called just about anything and you'd still know it's a tribute to the great with its beautiful thick guitar tone and volume swells. The covers of are the type of acoustic-guitar-with-female-vocals some people might have been expecting, but they're actually the least interesting tracks on the album. is a guitar player, pure and simple. Check your expectations at the door and enjoy. ~ Sean Westergaard