Last Train Home has taken several major steps forward with its eighth release Last Good Kiss. Not least among the positive changes are a relocation from Washington, D.C., to Nashville, and some lineup adjustments. And for the first time, all the tracks on this release were written by band members.
Eric Brace, former Washington Post music writer, is still fronting the band and writing most of the material. He pens some literate, emotional and poetic lyrics and sings them in a folksy style that Greg Brown fans would be comfy with. The arrangements range from honky-tonk to lounge-inflected blues to straight country and folk, with a lot of additional influences.
In addition to Brace’s writing and singing, the success of this album comes down in large part to the contributions of three musicians. Texas-based guitarist Steve Wedemeyer plays with extraordinary energy, taste and sensitivity; Jen Gunderman, late of the Jayhawks among others, adds immeasurably to the moods with piano, organ and accordion; and jazzman Kevin Cordt, who fronts his own D.C. combo and is also a member of the New York alt-everything band Spottiswoode & His Enemies spices things up with occasional trumpet. The rhythm section is bassist Jim Gray and drummer Martin Lynds, who both do more than their job of setting the rhythm, adding lots of subtle nuances along the way.
Right out of the starting gate, the title track is a rocking country song that’ll make you want to dance the Texas two-step, with a slow instrumental middle-eight part for a bit of slow-dancing — it’s one of those sad songs that’s perfect for dancing.
From there on out, the mood shifts frequently. “Flood” is a sultry slow rocker about love, with a soaring, gospel-influenced chorus feating lots of organ. “Anywhere But Here” with its jingling electric piano and lazy rhythm punctuated by thudding tom-tom backbeats, could be a lost Jim Reeves ballad. Wedermeyer’s “Can’t Come Undone” has a touch of the Texas border country, especially from Gunderman’s accordion.
For me, the gem at the heart of this box of 11 songs is “Kissing Booth,” which figures, since I’m a big Calexico fan and this one has brushed snares, accordion and muted trumpet. But it’s just a superb song, showing off all of Last Train Home’s strengths, including Wedermeyer’s sensitive guitar playing, Lynds’ jazzy drumming, Gunderman’s subtle accordion playing, and Brace’s honest vocal stylings and darkly poetic lyrics: “Time is a train on an endless track / Baggage coach painted black / memory leans on a windowsill / looking for a little more time … to kill.”
But don’t miss the devastatingly sad songs “Go Now” and “May,” the loungey, bluesy love song “You,” and the Tropicalia coda of “The Color Blue,” with wispy backing vocals from guest Claire Small and Cordt’s warm horn. This is a strong album that rewards repeated listening.
(Red Beet, 2007)
