The CD opens with a great tune, “The Bombs Fall All Around Me,” which definitely fits in the jangly category, with definitely a bit of Grateful Dead influence. Wolfe’s accordion, Urbinati’s guitar and the interplay between the two highlight the CD musically for me. In most bands the accordion is used mainly as a background “squeezebox” or possibly as the frenetic lead instrument in a cajun band, but here the accordion is often in front as a melody instrument playing lines of single notes to great effect. Nowhere is this more evident than at the beginning of my favorite cut on the album “Just Like Thieves,” a bouncy happy tune.
Sam Mellon has a nice mid-level voice a bit like Jerry Garcia, definitely no hints of twang. “Frozen Lake” is another tune I really like, highlighted by the electric guitar of Urbinati. The nice interplay between the accordion and electric guitar I mentioned works so well on the CD is evident on another bouncy tune, “Nothing Much Has Changed.” “Little Dreams” starts with soft piano, then changes tempo and adds edgier guitar than on the other tracks, then comes to an end with the soft piano of Julie Wolfe.
All in all this is a very good collection of songs with some wonderful playing. If you want a break from the twang and yee-haa (not that there’s anything wrong with that…) pick up this CD.

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