The Shining Path

Alex McManus minted his lengthy and impressive musical pedigree all the way back in 1993 when he contributed "scratchy fiddle" to Simon Joyner's "The Cowardly Traveler Pays His Toll." Since then, McManus has spent time as a sideman in Vic Chesnutt's band, plays a variety of instruments in Lambchop, and contributes euphonium and guitar to recent live incarnations of Bright Eyes. But being a sideman is not McManus' main outlet -- when he moves to the forefront, he becomes the Bruces, a one-man fuzz/folk project inaugurated in 1993. In 1995 the Bruces released their first proper album "Hialeah Pink." Seven years passed with almost no activity from the Bruces until fall of 2002, when Misra released "The War of the Bruces." That fall, the Bruces evolved into a live band (featuring Conor Oberst on bass) and toured the U.S. "The War of the Bruces" marked a major evolution in the Bruces' sound -- the songs grew from self-consciously lo-fi bedroom folk recordings into expansive, fuzzed out pop songs that were compared to everything from Howe Gelb and Will Oldham to Neutral Milk Hotel and Wilco. This time around, McManus hasn't kept us in suspense: Just two years later, McManus has completed "The Shining Path." The attention to detail on this record is staggering; every sound, every heartfelt, vivid image is carefully placed -- from subtle horns or banjo to the most minute fuzz or plucked acoustic guitar. Part of this is due to McManus' proficiency at a vast arsenal of instruments and his longtime experience with home recording, but it certainly doesn't hurt that he enlisted the help of fellow Lambchop member Marky Nevers when it came time to mix. But "The Shining Path" is more than just a sonic delight. The songs themselves are staggering; they sound like lost remnants of the '60s/'70s folk that cemented the careers of such greats as Jackson C. Frank, Bert Jansch, and Roy Harper, only sung with McManus' Midwestern drawl. Couple that with some perfectly placed hooks -- creating an odd, fascinating brew of sing-along choruses and stark folk moments -- and "The Shining Path" is a perfect album of American music.