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THE TIMES ARE NEVER SO BAD (Bohemian Embassy) RATING: 7.5 The overseas press calls it ‘the missing link between the heartland rock of Springsteen and the poetic introspection of Jackson Browne’; the sort of clip that bends the musical map without breaking it, and pretty accurately describes the boundaries explored here. It must be said first that Tom Caufield is one of those mysteries that cannot be explained; listening to this disc, it’s hard to understand why he still works in such anonymity, especially since this is not a debut (or even a second) album; he’s travelled and played on the road, and has previously released several albums and participated in many collaborations. He began as a member of the Raisins, an Ohio band that went on to support Adrian Belew as ‘The Bears’ after Tom left to pursue a solo career. A native of Michigan, Caufield had lived in both New York and Nashville before settling on the West Coast, an amount of ground covered that allowed him to absorb the colors and shades of the ‘on the road’ tradition. The tradition is reflected on this self-produced disc. Starting with a debut that dates back to 1988, ‘Long Distance Calling,’ released on American independent label Paradox and distributed nationally by PolyGram, Caufield started building the wings of a dream. Yet after all these years, Caufield remains in the waiting room of success, continuing to work on various projects (including a male/female harmony duo) without letting go of that dream. In the past, his roots-pop-folk-rock would certainly have found a larger audience and his subsequent discography would have gained public and critical respect - or maybe not. Had he come along 10 years earlier, he just as well may have become yet another beautiful loser who passes through and is suddenly gone. So maybe his timing is right after all. On the album, with a few exceptions, the artist plays all the instruments and recorded everything (except the drums) in his home studio and has released this disc on his own label, ‘Bohemian Embassy,’ out of Brentwood, California. Displaying a natural talent for simple, memorable melodies that one can enjoy to the last drop, one hears hints of Bryan Adams in his prime in the sincere decency that shines through the notes of the title track, a beautiful song that has clearly come flowing out of the aftermath of a difficult period, offering an aftertaste that is bitter yet flooded with hope. The fumes breathed on the album are pop from the outset and provide a sustained, unforgettable experience, from the aforementioned title track, through ‘ The Old West End,’ a clear and vibrant song that blurs life’s light and shadows and steers toward the sunny side . What can I say about ‘Meant To Be’ and ‘To See The Stars,’ two ballads full of mainstream eighties influences (the good ones, that is), or ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ the best song of the disc this far in, until the apotheosis of ‘Throw It In The Fire’ offers the quintessence of a natural intimacy mixed with power and folk-rock craft that crystallizes into a most satisfying noise. The album closes with the echoey folk of ‘Drifting On Till Morning Tide’ and finally ‘The Staying Kind,’ a beautiful melodic song that offers and also transforms a poignant mood of anticipation. This record left me thinking that DIY is king, in spite of its limitations. I thrill to imagine what would happen should this artist be given access to professional production, something that (these days) seems unfortunately destined to remove some of the character from reality. No such problem here. David Nieri, Roots Highway, 6/5/2009
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