Yellowjacket in Bloomington, MN

Two decades into a solid but low-key career, rootsy Canadian
folk-rocker
Stephen Fearing
is as unfashionable as ever, and it seems he wouldn't have it any other way.
Yellowjacket
is
Fearing
's eighth solo album, and a return to stripped-down self-production after a slow and gradual creep toward a more polished AAA-radio sound. Crisp and uncluttered, the sound of
recalls that of a classic
Richard Thompson
album minus the guitar heroics. Similarly,
's songs are unpretentious and charming even when covering such well-worn topics as the siren song of the road (the title track, which seems to be referring to truckstop speed even though the song itself never rises above a sedate amble, and the barroom
rock
of
"One Flat Tire"
) and the pitfalls of parenthood (the slightly soppy
"Love Only Knows"
). As comfortable as a favorite old sweater,
is geared almost exclusively for
's small but dependable fan base; there's no attempt to reach out into the larger
pop
marketplace, and none is required. ~ Stewart Mason