This solo debut by former Plimsouls leader Peter Case shows the singer's rootsier side off quite well. Produced by T-Bone Burnett and Mitchell Froom, the primarily acoustic songs are adeptly arranged and filled with great melodies. Case has a reputation for being a bit too clever at times and on occasion the album's lyrics can be a bit obtuse, but overall songs like the Van Dyke Parks-arranged "Small Town Spree" and the harmonica-driven "Old Blue Car" rock with an immediacy that hits the listener where it should, in the gut rather than between the ears.