Bill Wither 'bout Love

It's possible to find through-lines of the new romantic strain of pop throughout this Bill Nelson release, with washes of synthesizer and dance-of-electrocution rhythms going on all over the place, but the true fascination is the mix of a post-ironic tone and a cultured sensitivity to art and beauty. While Nelson puts his guitar chops on display periodically through the album (much of it with E-bow in hand), this is far from being a guitar album - all of the disparate elements are too well-integrated for any to assume a point of focus. There is a sweetness and a lightness to a great deal of the work Nelson put into this album, and this makes it infinitely listenable. In some respects, this is also a record that will teach listeners everything they need to know about Bill Nelson - it touches on all aspects of what he does.

There is a strange but beautiful irony that occurs when an artist writes a great song upon the death of a loved one. Doubtful that Brian Culbertson was aiming for one of Somethin' Bout Love's (Atlantic) most emotionally rich tunes when he wrote the powerful gospel of "I'm Gonna Miss You" for his late manager Howard Lowe II, but he and co-writer/vocalist Lori Perry achieve just that. Unlike similar tunes in American culture that come across as generic, the poignant lyrics are specific to the artist-manager relationship, adding to the tune's uniqueness.

If all Commander Cody ever aspired to was sounding like a real good Dave Dudley 45, then ex-Lost Planet Airman Bill Kirchen has achieved his dream with this album. The kickoff track, "Womb to the Tomb," would have fit in atmospherically just about anywhere on those early albums, and his rendition here of the Sharps/Rivingtons with Duane Eddy title track seems absolutely tailor-made for Kirchen's twanging roadhouse style. It's like a night in a real good honky tonk with a great little combo up there. There's a lot of great music on this 14-track outing, with the lion's share of it emanating from Kirchen and his tighter-than-Jack Benny rhythm section of Johnny Castle on bass and Jack O'Dell on drums.