In Evergreen Boy , Forbert, always one of our more perceptive lyricists, takes a long look at the conflicting desires for the comforts of home and the lure of the road. Something s Got A Hold On Me. With these conflicts comes the inevitable tensions andcontradictions. I can t let my pride down, and you of course must have your way, Forbert notes ruefully. Musically, the album seems to pull in two directions at once.
Nothing here illustrates that more than the title cut.
Forbert has adapted the Nirvana-ish model of a slow verse and a rockin chorus. Backed by delicate acoustic picking, Forbert warbles the verses in his fragile voice before the whole band kicks in to chant the refrain of Evergreen Boy. Yet the song is all of a piece. Forbert s gift on this album is to have wedded seemingly disparate musical ideas and philosophies that should clash with one another. Yet he does not come off as hypocritical or wishy-washy, but as a man who finds himself aging and resolves to accomplish it with some grace.