East to West
On Paul Burch’s five preceding records he has showcased his strapping Nashville backing band, The WPA Ballclub, to complement his own ambidexterity on guitar, Wurlitzer, pedal steel and vibes. The trend continues here, though the ante has been upped by the likes of multi-instrumentalist Tim O’Brien, guitarist Mark Knopfler and voice-out-of-heaven Ralph Stanley. Burch’s fondness for classic country shines in honky-tonkers like "When I’m In Love" and "I’m Taking It Home," but his true songwriting genius is best exposed on tracks that straddle the boundaries of folk ("Last Dream of Will Keene), pop ("December Sparklers") and blues ("I Will Wait For You"). Both "Daddy Rhythm Guitar" and "John Peel" use the purest forms of instrumentation, the latter featuring Burch’s primitive bass-slapping, and "Little Glass of Wine," which includes the immortal Stanley on high-harmony co-lead vocals, smells of sweet Kentucky bluegrass. By the time he croons "Montreal," using the French Canadian city as a love-affair metaphor, you’re left to wonder why Paul Burch is still tucked so deeply into Nashville’s underground.--Scott Holter