Wanderlust and Prairie Wedding have appropriately spare guitar and organ. Prairie Wedding has a powerful cinematic feel. Knopfler's understated vocal suits his role as a decent Old West man quietly stunned by learning the woman he only knew by letter is the angel of his dreams. Silvertown Blues starts as a moody exploration. Cranes erecting the Millennium Dome in a deserted part of London bring hope but also a feeling that nothing will change.
Guest stars add nice touches to Sailing To Philadelphia.
The best is on The Last Laugh. The Last Laugh has a cool, restrained mood with a good, modest Knopfler vocal and evocative horns. Van Morrison takes it to an even higher level. James Taylor's serious, sincere voice is well used for the title track's tale of characters from Thomas Pynchon's book, who will eventually draw the Mason-Dixon line, sharing their hopes and fears as they leave the north of England for a life in the new world. Gillian Welch's own traditional music can be too studied and showily authentic but her classic vocal style is well used on Speedway At Nazareth, a nicely unembellished country rocker.