Veteran Texas singer/songwriter Chris Smither sounds a bit like a Tim Hardin for the '90s, so it's no surprise to come upon a cover of Hardin's “Don't Make Promises” halfway through this excellent album. Smither's gravelly, instantly recognizable voice is a perfect fit for his pensive, sharply honed lyrics and his blues and folk-based music. Smither's 15 accompanists, who employ everything from sax to accordion to tuba, do a uniformly first-rate job with a varied program. Like Nick Drake and the Van Morrison of Astral Weeks days, Smither makes you feel as if you're in a dream. You may not want to wake up for a while.
