James Jackson Toth, one of the best singer-songwriters going and a KZSU favorite (his album Blood Oaths of the New Blues was our 2nd most played of 2013), is back with a gorgeous, easygoing album somewhere on a side road along the country/folk/Americana highway. It’s slow and pretty and meandering, but not as tripped out as Blood Oaths or as hard rocking as his album with The World War IV (another KZSU charter in 2013). It’s great music for the back porch of your soul, and Toth’s an excellent lyricist to boot. Recommended if you like Lambchop, Bill Callahan, Cass McCombs. Also features guitarist extraordinaire William Tyler. Every song’s absolutely wonderful, but good starters are 1, 4, 5, 6. No FCCs.

1. *(3:13)—Upbeat, straightforward, lovely electric folk.
2. (4:45)—Slow, yearning western blues, with upright bass.
3. (6:50)—Mid-tempo, lush, rolling through the desert.
4. *(3:54)—Driving, sharp-toothed blues, with a snarling guitar solo.
5. *(5:39)—Loping, persistent, with pedal steel. Song title repeats at the end of each verse.
6. *(5:02)—Free and breezy, easy old-time country with harmonica. Yes! You’ll feel great after playing this.
7. (6:10)—Wistful evening music. The pedal steel’s back.
8. (8:19)—Bluesy, a little bouncy, trippy, sweltering. Lots of jamming and nice, distant guitar soloing.
9. (5:40)—Very bluesy. “Don’t be ashamed to feel lonesome in a crowd.” Droning ending.