A strong debut release "a la Eric Andersen." Shindell's songwriting is intense at times ("Sparrows Point," "The Courier," "On the Sea of Fleur de Lis"). His "Kenworth of My Dreams" is the classic blue-collar truck-driver song, and the title song should not be missed, either. "Are You Happy Now" is the most commercial song -- very strong. This is an up-and-coming artist you should check out. ~ Chip Renner & Richard Meyer, All Music Guide

CD $17.08

While not as startlingly original as Sparrow's Point, Shindell's second CD is still far better than the work of his many contemporaries. His political songs, "Arrowhead" and "Fishing," make their points as affecting stories well told rather than by posturing. Never one to shy away from difficult subjects, the "Ballad of Mary Magdalene" is a masterful casting of one of religion's pivotal relationships; that by implication says a great deal about the confused state of human affairs. The playing and ...   [ read more ]

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In "The Next Best Western," the opening track of this terrific collection of tunes, life on the road takes its toll both literally and figuratively. The narrator goes so far as to question God's motives as he rolls along the turnpike: "Did he who made the lamb/Put the tremble in the hand/That reaches out to take my quarter?" Indeed, Shindell works in landscapes of desperation and longing throughout the album, with fugitives ("May"), absent fathers ("I Saw My Youth Today") and other assorted average J...   [ read more ]

CD $17.08