Travels in the South
Chris Stamey's career has included work in the revered art-pop band thedB'sand a batch of solo albums that range from the oddball to the less quirky. OnTravels in the South, his first CD in more than a decade, he forsakes the sometimes piping quality that once marked his vocals to sing like, perhaps, a dreamierNeil Finn. This set of grownup love songs and musings (with occasional wry memories, such as the complaint about seemingly 100-hour schooldays in "14 Shades of Green") is a stronger record than might be expected from Stamey at this point. Only the too-sentimentalBrill Buildingtribute of "In Spanish Harlem" really feels unsuccessful, while a rewrite ofJackson Browne's "Running on Empty" ("Ride") and the psychedelic-pop instrumental "Leap of Faith" nicely bookendTravels' moods. Newcomers unfamiliar with Stamey's work--say, fans of admirer-collaborators likeRyan Adams--will find this a happy starting point.--Rickey Wright