The spacey country-rock of NYC veteran singer/songwriter/guitarist Dusty Wright is simple on the surface but contains profound depths. The tongue-in-cheek optimism of “New Year Bliss” is more than balanced by plenty of darkness in a stretch of songs dealing with loss, politics, pain, and murder. It’s not easy listening if you pay attention to the lyrics, but it rewards that attention with catharsis. Though the thought experiment “Every Man’s Burden” hardly lightens up as the last track, its Stones-y slide guitar and rollicking groove nonetheless ensure the album ends on an up note.
