PORCUPINE

Released: April 28, 2009

It's a versatile artist who feels he's no longer confined to any one particular style and subsequently allows himself to infuse more disparate elements into his sound. So give credit to Tim Easton with breaking the Americana mold on this, his fifth album, and expanding his parameters into realms of Blues, R&B and other traditional templates. Whether or not its title was intended to reflect the temperament remains a matter of conjecture, but suffice it to say this is a somewhat, um, prickly outlay in terms of tone and treatment. "Burgundy Red," the crazed rockabilly rave-up that jumpstarts the album, suggests something's askew early on, and with the cool cat shuffle of "Stormy," the dark, descending chords of "Get What I Got" and the swampy bluesy snarl that shades "The Young Girls," Easton's manic attitude is vented in full view.

That's not to say Easton doesn't seize on sentiment. His parched vocals leave an indelible impression on "Broke My Heart" ("There's only two things left in this world/Love and the lack thereof"), while the easy saunter of "7th Wheel" and "Baltimore" indicate he hasn't abandoned his heartland instincts altogether. Ultimately, it's the bittersweet aftertaste of "Goodbye Amsterdam" that mellows the mood and mitigates some of those edgier elements that created such a commotion.

-Lee Zimmerman from Blurt-Online.com