Train Home

settles into his distinctive combination of and with this excellent release. Although not pushing established boundaries, his rich, velvety voice and mature spoken-sung vocals convey a sense of truth and add depth to these introspective compositions. A bit of early creeps into his leathery vocals on a jaunty cover of 's but is best defined by the fingerpicked . , a fan from way back, contributes harmony vocals and slide guitar to his gentle eight-minute version of Some tunes are percussion-free, providing the singer's honey growl of a voice and clean acoustic guitar the most space to maneuver. is loosest lamenting about his stolen car and its psychological effects on a track that, with his muttering and grouching, seems to have been recorded in an impromptu moment. A gentle cover of -- the album's only unaccompanied performance -- shows 's rather evident roots, and his closing -styled version of reveals less obvious ones. Accompaniment by right-hand man , who plays keyboards, guitars, and even something called a pinewood diddley bo, subtly enhances nearly every track on this quiet gem. ~ Hal Horowitz