Blowing fresh smoke into the exhausted genre of the male singer/songwriter is no easy task. In fact, given the growing number of generic John Mayer clones, you'd think it was nearly impossible.
It's not Chris Loggins' (http://www.chrisloggins.com) fault, but the initial reaction of critics upon receiving material like this would be skepticism followed by a heavy sigh. Yes, it is another solo record by a boy and his guitar.
Sigh.
Fortunately, Loggins quickly distances himself from the wanna-be's with a blast of Southern hospitality and buzzsaw blues licks on the aptly titled opening cut, "Dust."
By liberating himself from the clean-cut boundaries of his peers, Loggins has put some thrills into this tired Triple A format. This isn't the fragile coffeehouse strum and bore that one often hears on records credited to a single person's name these days. Loggins isn't afraid to get dirty, especially on the mud-splashed riffs of "Miracle" and the salty rock of "Brass Tacks."
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Even Loggins' mellow moments, such as "Bee" and "Satori," have a Led Zeppelin tranquility to them, as dreamy and wind-swept as a beautiful summer afternoon, swallowing shots of whisky.
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