Rating: NNN
Mellow is the mood on Fearing’s seventh solo outing, and while it lacks the urgency and grit of 02’s That’s How I Walk or the looseness of his work with Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, it does showcase Fearing’s innate ability to pen a beautifully rich and communicative song that stirs the soul in a way few others (like Ry Cooder) can. It’s his first self-produced album since he started out in the biz, and the top-notch job he did behind the board suggests he should keep at it. Deceptively simple melodies work alongside to-the-point lyrics that anyone can understand, and Fearing’s delicate delivery and everyman ethic allow us to feel we’re listening to an old friend, not some stuck-up snob no one can relate to.
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