Driving Home
With Rounder Records, Cheryl Wheeler found a home. With her first recording for the label, Wheeler steps to the plate and swings with confidence. Don't let the hilarious cover art fool you: from the atmospheric title tune to the gliding hooks in "Silver Lining" to the anti-gun hillbilly honk "Don't Forget the Guns" (withAlison Krausson harmony vocals), this is a singer/songwriter tour de force. "75 Septembers" has a powerful sweep. An accordion adds a nice touch to a pair of tunes, including the bayou-flavored "Spring." And her paean to her adopted homeland, "When Fall Comes to New England," has become a performance staple.Jonathan Edwards, who produced her first two albums, wisely opts for a spare setting this time out, allowing her songs to shine through. Yet another sterling collection from one of the most sage and sly singer/songwriters on the circuit.--Robert Baird