Wry Mississippi songman
Cory Branan
returns with
Adios
, an assured, cleverly constructed, and death-obsessed set that plays to his many strengths. A bit of a maverick with one foot in country, one in punk, and other limbs strewn here and there,
Branan
seems at home in his own skin, weaving tales of heartache, ghosts, drunks, various types of moonlight, and the well-read but down and out. As on previous releases, he fills a modern day
Prine-ian
role of the literate smartass storyteller who can just as easily turn on the tenderness with a bittersweet turn of phrase. His melodic sense is in fine form on
with more pop-oriented highlights like "Visiting Hours" and the hooky "I Only Know," which features harmonies from
Against Me!
frontwoman
Laura Jane Grace
. Representing the more countrified side of things, lead single "Imogene" and the warmly sentimental "The Vow" show some of
's other sides on this diverse and well-crafted collection. ~ Timothy Monger