NEW CONNECTION  (Oh Boy)  •  Todd Snider

"I just kind of trip over songs... I just drive around and make up songs until I have 13 or 14 of 'em."

"The older I get, the harder it is to pretend that I don't care. The goal with all my songs is to make me feel better, but it makes me feel great if someone understands them or relates to them... That's what makes it happen for me, when people can relate to my songs."

Somewhere between and including these sentiments lies the twisted beautiful music of Todd Snider. I've been hearing his name in hallowed tones for years, but this is my first taste. Lovin it. A lot of my favorite Nashville musicians are on it. Will Kimbrough on many guitars, banjo, organ celeste, and piano. Drums by Paul Griffith and Dave Jacques on bass. Chris Carmichael on strings, and Jason Wilber on guitar, mandolin and dobro. Many other great players appear, but that is the essential nucleus, along with the notorious R.S. Field producing (and sometimes mixing) and Jim Demain recording, mixing and mastering. Jim Hoke arranges some tasty horns, naturally. Excellent cameos by John Prine and Kim Richey.

I see now what the big deal is about Todd Snider. Along with being a great songwriter, he makes you love him. He's funny, he's gracious, a rogue and a romantic. A man's man and a ladies man. That's a good trick. Extremely clever lyrics--"Statistician's Blues," "Vinyl Records" and "Beer Run" (co-written by the infamous Keith Christopher) are real standouts in that regard. When he's serious on "Waco Moon" and "Class of ‘85" and others, he digs deep. He's got a very conversational songwriting style, one I particularly enjoy.

Love this record, and I'm gonna get the other four, from Oh Boy Records. They're a major cool label in Nashville that is the home of the entire John Prine and Steve Goodman catalogs. They also have a great vault of classics, distribute the Dead Reckoning label, and more. Dig some Todd Snider clips on the Listen page, and check out Oh Boy Records! Highly recommended. • FG

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