Bobby Bare Jr.

A Storm – A Tree – My Mother's Head (Thirty Tigers)

By Emily Anderson
Published: September 5th, 2010 | 1:00pm

Bobby Bare Jr.’s new record is a boozy alt-country romp that truly shines at its heartbreaking best. Signature tracks like “One of Us Has Got to Go” and the album’s namesake are evocative ruminations on being alone, albeit in disparate circumstances. It’s obvious from the onset of the album that Bare undoubtedly has a gift for wordplay and lyricism, but once in a while it works against him. While A Storm – A Tree – My Mother’s Head is laden with unmistakable songwriting gems, they make the odd indulgent piece of filler all the easier to spot. “Lost Jesus Sandals,” for example, proves to be a subject not worthy of four and a half minutes.

Still, though a little uneven, the album redeems itself by being chock full of relatable landscapes overflowing with cheap beer (“Rock and Roll Halloween”) or ‘90s grunge nostalgia (“The Summer of ‘93”). What perhaps defines the album is the anticipation of oncoming heartbreak that colors songs like “Sad Smile” and “But I Do.” Occasionally, a steel guitar makes an appearance to really accent the sad bastardism of Bare Jr.’s plight, but it’s a plight we’ve all indulged in and would be more than happy to share a drink over.

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Bobby Bare Jr. official Web site

Bobby Bare Jr. MySpace page

Thirty Tigers Distribution