Member of Thee Shams kick out soulful, laid-back and thoughtful tales. Bit of drug stagger, sorrowful pleas, slide guitar, and harmonies Neil Young’d nod to.
This is this man’s deepest and most sincere expression of himself. It just so happens that he’s also able to write arena rock songs that cannot be refused.
If you’ve zoned out to Cowboy Junkies or Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb,” you’ll find solace in the flow of this solemn, depressive, and well-assembled dish.
There are a handfulla choruses, like “Jumping the Shark,” that roll like Social D mixed with Randy in powerpop mode, the stuff that’d make a great TV theme.
Gary’s got the chops, the voice, and the songwriting to get and keep your interest, but it’s the “let’s do a country song” ideas that need to be nipped.