Wright, long a fixture on the New York roots-rock scene both under this name and with an ever-evolving series of bands, has been writing more deeply personal songs on recent albums, just from the greater perspective gained from dealing with all aspects of life over a long period of time. Recently, death in the family more keenly focused this tendency, and the hard-earned result is a touching album of plainspoken truths. Take this couplet: “Life is hard, life ain’t fair/Life gets harder when you’re halfway there.” A pair of clichés given greater resonance when followed by an uncommon observation, reminding us that clichés are just truths we’ve had to hear repeatedly. The musical side of the equation is not neglected; guitarists Jon Bendis and David Lee Waters consistently perk up the proceedings.
