C2

Wilfred Langmaid

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

Todd Snider: The Excitement Plan - Yep Roc/Outside

Enlarge Photo

Todd Snider has carved out a rich and unique niche in the past decade-plus. He is one of today's most consistent, uncompromising folk artists, imparting his wit and wisdom in a canon of nine albums this decade alone and 12 albums in a 15-year career.

Snider's latest album The Excitement Plan is another winner.

Born in Oregon but a resident of Tennessee for years - specifically the wrong side of the tracks in Nashville - Snider weaves crisp vignettes of hardscrabble characters. Some are ne'er do wells, such as the fellow who feels he cannot be traced for a killing in Unorganized Crime and the life tale of a man whose one life constant is drink in Corpus Christi Bay.

Fictitious characters dominate the vignettes, but there is one neat historic nod. Dock Ellis was allegedly tripping on LSD when he pitched a no hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970. The tale is counted with Snider's typical storytelling richness in America's Favorite Pastime, one of the songs that Snider does up with a full band in a folk-rock groove.

Snider has a strong social conscience and clear left of centre political views. Long opposed to the invasion of Iraq, his You Got Away With It from his 2006 album The Devil You Know might be the most clever and lasting of the legion of songs that so many artists have written about this situation.

This time around, he offers a simple folk rock anthem with no trick ending and all of the message encapsulated in the song's title Bring 'Em Home.

Snider inhabits all of his songs, and all of his characters are believable. That said, some of the songs are clear autobiography. There is the solo vocal/acoustic guitar album opener Slim Chance, which aptly demonstrates his aw shucks way and his glass half full personal outlook. Greencastle Blues, which follows, clearly references Snider's own life situation. It shows yet again how he can convey so much in so few words.

The Last Laugh is the album's most direct autobiography, and Snider also directly references his own life in the typical tongue-in-cheek rebel artist ode Money, Compliments, Publicity and the album-closing signature benediction with a grin Good Fortune.

Melodically, the neat twist on this album is the use of piano as a skeleton for some of the compositions. Greencastle Blues, Doll Face, and Barefoot Champagne conjure up images of Randy Newman. For an artist to be able to do this with an occasional stylistic twist on an otherwise characteristic album is exceptional. That they are also typical Snider lyrical gems with social lessons is a bonus.

There are really no duds, even if the duet with legendary country singer Loretta, Lynn Don't Tempt Me, comes off as rather ragged and sloppy.

Todd Snider will never be a hitmaker, but he will always have a following. That following now has 12 more great new songs to enjoy.

Fredericton-based freelance writer Wilfred Langmaid has reviewed albums in The Daily Gleaner since 1981, and is a past judge for both the Junos and the East Coast Music Awards. His column appears each Saturday.