It figures that Ben Kweller, a Texas-bred rock prodigy devoted to tunecraft and lyrical wit, would eventually turn to country, which prizes both. But his new sound, per his new home, is more Austin eclectic than Nashville mainstream; see "Sawdust Man," a roadhouse blues with a chorus ("I'm on top of the Greyhound station/Won't you pleeeeeease come home") that sounds like Harry Nilsson and John Lennon on a bender circa Pussy Cats. There's a charmingly tossed-off quality to the entire set, whose 10 songs frequently deal with women and their troubled men. The best is "On Her Own," a number in praise of female self-determination with a precise, pedal-steel-driven chorus that would fit nicely on a Faith Hill or Brad Paisley album.
(Posted: Jan 21, 2009)
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