This sounds sort of like what you might expect from a modern folksy, Eric Clapton release; bluesy, country, reggae/Caribbean touches, but consciously crafted pop first and foremost. Pierce Pettis has an ‘old’ voice; he’s been around the block. Organs and (steel sounding) percussion dominate front-half tracks. He uses the old sequencing trick; upbeat poppy songs alternate with slower, more emotional ones. The instrumentation is quite interesting; he uses some unexpected percussion and organ touches, as far as ‘folk’ music goes. I really enjoyed reading the lyrics; and Pierce has a way of delivering memorable vocal performances through repetition of phrases and vocal focus. According to lyric book, no FCCs.

1. Loose Caribbean feel, organs, rhythmic, interesting hybrid of Caribbean pop and folksy, country touches, backing female vocals come in for poppy touches(3:15)
2. More rhythmic than the first one, organs prominent again, soft guitar chords, pretty vocals in bridge with assistance from backing ladies(3:08)
3. Violins and country-fied start, cowbell, lyrics are longing and pretty, but the delivery on this track do not do them justice; it gets the Jimmy Buffet treatment(3:31)
*4. Slow, mournful guitar opens song, great vocal delivery!– vocals come from a female perspective; about a pre-arranged marriage between a young woman and a man “twice [her] age.” This is good stuff, builds with lush violin and light percussion. (4:50)
5. Western feel to this one, organs and guitars echo, more upbeat pop, rhythmic guitar focus(3:28)
6. Snare drum whips behind country opening, vocal refrain, “you did that for me,” some more modern Eric Clapton sound; not difficult to like(3:26)
7. Folky guitar opening, serious, dramatic focus, “that kind of love,” slow and engulfed in sensitivity, churchy organs come in second half(3:57)
8. Jesse Winchester cover, change in style from previous track; playful composition, percussion is groovin’, is that a harmonica?!– more ‘mature Clapton’ sound(4:06)
9. Patient acoustic guitar opens with sweet progression, tasteful use of accordion, warm climax, lyrics are like that unfortunate top 40 hit, ‘I Hope You Dance;’ he may actually have nailed this in a different way, but I can’t help but be reminded of Lee Ann Womack(4:22)
10. Immediate comparison to the oft-covered Leonard Cohen “Hallelujah;” Pettis adopts a different take; soft bongo drums, (obviously different lyrics-this is not a cover!), slide guitar, female backing vocals, but of course a repetition of “Hallelujah” refrain(3:49)
11. Woody Guthrie cover, fiddle, soft, chugging bongo drum and other percussion, upright bass, seems to sound like a stylistic return to more traditional folk(3:43)
*12. Acoustic guitar is sad, lyrics and delivery are solemn, “Let me give you something for the pain”– I like this as a dark ending to the album; strong imagery, emotional and confrontational, negative lyrics about the Christian church, crooning vocals(3:28)