Title: A good rootsy country/blues album
Review: This is a very good album from the ex-frontman of Dire Straits. Away from the commercial concerns of his band, Mark gets back to his acoustic roots, as this album is largely a collection of country / blues numbers, played with panache and mostly focusing on Knopfler's plucky guitar and deep gravelly voice. At times he dosen't sound like himself, like on the title track where he sounds like Evan Dando; and others where the ensemble playing reminds me of an alt.country act, or the Jayhawks. James Taylor and Van Morrison join in on vocals and have some fun.The only bad thing about this album, and it really takes that 5th star away, is Guy Fletcher's keyboards. He drowns certain songs in 80's synth washes, ruining otherwise perfect rootsy-acoustic blues songs. And his backing vocals are truely awful. If he wasn't on this album it would be perfect, but he's there, and he does his damage.One piece of advice to Mark Knopfler: keep making albums like this but lose Fletcher.
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