download
This lead single from singer-songwriter Cass McCombs' new album, Dropping the Writ, pleasantly avoids direct comparisons. It's not that McCombs is doing anything so radical in terms of sound or structure, but for guitar based indie-rock it's remarkably free from any obvious, overshadowing influences. Just the rare case of an affecting narrative, performed in an engaging and gimmick-free manner, that won't set off any alarm bells for the clever trainspotter.
The delicate voice and strumming he's used to great effect on previous releases glide over a lovely rumble that gives the road trip narrative a vital feeling of escape. That the end of the song's love affair finds our man abandoned and mopping up at a Baltimore nightclub doesn't diminish the good humor and charming harmonies with which it is remembered.