For nearly 40 years, Jules Shear has been a songwriter’s songwriter, with hits recorded by The Bangles, Cyndi Lauper and others. A number of previous projects under his own name have employed the typical guitar, bass and drums onslaught. But for this one he strips 13 tracks down to acoustic piano, vocals and occasional harmonica. The result is a Bob Dylan and Tom Waits folksiness with the whimsy of Randy Newman. Despite the skeletal framework there is plenty of diversity to be had in the self-revelatory “Painkiller” along with the gospel-like “Looking For Me” and the wonderfully harmonic “When It’s Right” for proof.
Rating: 8/10
One More Crooked Dance
Funzalo Records
Producer: Jules Shear and Lee Danziger
