"Few
songwriters can deftly weave separate similes involving Popeye, Olive
Oyl and Sweet Pea into a single verse. Fewer still can make it sound
deeply soulful. But such are the gifts that make Phelps such a remarkable
artist. Besides his off-kilter lyrical expression, Phelps boasts
a haunting vocal rasp and unmatched mastery of finger style and slide
guitar. Together, these elements explore the deepest shades of blue,
and they have never worked better than on this disc. Be it the melancholy
waltz of "Not So Far To Go", or the shuffling blues of
the title track, Phelps makes the sublime sound effortless. He enjoys
spare, but detailed support throughout, notably from Jesse Zubot's
plaintive violin and some truly thrilling guitar cameos by Bill Frisell.
This is music that rings with bittersweet experience."
"Few
songwriters can deftly weave separate similes involving Popeye, Olive
Oyl and Sweet Pea into a single verse. Fewer still can make it sound
deeply soulful. But such are the gifts that make Phelps such a remarkable
artist. Besides his off-kilter lyrical expression, Phelps boasts
a haunting vocal rasp and unmatched mastery of finger style and slide
guitar. Together, these elements explore the deepest shades of blue,
and they have never worked better than on this disc. Be it the melancholy
waltz of "Not So Far To Go", or the shuffling blues of
the title track, Phelps makes the sublime sound effortless. He enjoys
spare, but detailed support throughout, notably from Jesse Zubot's
plaintive violin and some truly thrilling guitar cameos by Bill Frisell.
This is music that rings with bittersweet experience."