Bow Thayer is a 40-something Massachusetts-born banjo and guitar player who once fronted newgrass band The Benders and still plays with a band called Perfect Trainwreck who specialise in a brand of bluesy swamp rock.
On this album he shows his mellower side with a largely un-plugged project that apparently came about quite casually at the behest of rhythm guitarist Kristina Stykos. She made her Vermont home studio available for the purpose of laying down tracks with a 'let's just see what happens' attitude.
Thayer supplied a blueprint, bringing along songs that were either incomplete or else had been written and then abandoned. He and Stykos then revamped and recorded them in a relaxed atmosphere of "musical comfort" feeling under no pressure to produce a full length album. The fruits of their labours were then improved no end by the inspired decision to recruit Montpelier violinist Patrick Voss who has added some beautifully lyrical finishing touches.
On the sleeve notes, Thayer says that the 14 songs were kept deliberately simple. As he puts it, they were "stripped down to their fundamental framework in hopes that it will remind us of that common thread that links the past and the future".
The relaxed, spontaneous quality of the finished result is plain to hear. In spite of the occasionally raw subject matter, a peaceful, easy feeling prevails. This is even evident from the album title which is, after all, decidedly more polite and poetic sounding than Neil Young's "you're all just pissin' in the wind" line from Ambulance Blues which broadly reflects the same sentiment.
The overall tone of Thayer's songs is more fatalistic than bleak as exemplified by his observation that "you can see where I've been by the shape I'm in" on the fine closing track (Waltzing On The Wayside). This same song ends the album strongly with these great lines:
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"I'm going to talk to my god, or who ever's in charge
To give me direction when I get lost
I'm going to get down on my knees like I got no choice
To sing Hallelujah in a Tom Waits voice".
Other album highlights include a touching song about the death of a friend from a heroine overdose (Allston-Brighton) and a sad folky tale of star crossed lovers (Carla Dupree).
Elsewhere, the tunes touch on subjects like parenthood, hope and confusion drawing upon Thayer's experience of growing older, though not necessarily wiser. The themes essentially revolve around trying to balance joy and despair while being consistently aware that you are living your life without the benefit of a safety net.
With a total playing time of almost an hour, it does tend to drag a bit in places. Thayer may be conscious of the need for a bit more energy as he has already announced that three tracks - Catskill Stone, Dawning and Suicide Kings - will be given a more widescreen treatment on a future Perfect Trainwreck record.
Still, this is a warm, laid-back record that clearly comes from a good place and encourages the listener to respond in the same positive spirit.
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