Philadelphia-bred, but now NYC-based, Scott McClatchy melds a rustic
twanginess with a blue-collar sensibility. It`s no surprise then that
fellow urban troubadours Willie Nile, Scott Kempner and the legendary
Dion join him on a version of the Band`s "The Weight". McClatchy
displays a gift for dealing with weighty issues without being
heavy-handed. He weaves a Byrdsian guitar line through the title track,
a song in which he questions sin and redemption. "The Reason" and "The
Legend" provide poignant looks at a troubled relationship and an
over-the-hill performer, respectively. "My Family`s Land" and "Goodnight
Bobby", meanwhile, are two moving story-songs chronicling hardscrabble,
rural American life. McClatchy concludes his fine second solo album on a
rousing note with a rendition of the Del Lords` anthematic "Heaven".
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