Bad Moock Rising

Boston-based singer/songwriter Alastair Moock can assemble a fine pack of musicians to play his acoustic urban folk songs with him, can read Bob Dylan's nuclear paranoia ode "Let Me Die in My Footsteps" with reverent emotion, and can even turn a performance of Woody Guthrie's "Pretty Boy Floyd" into an informative history lesson/moral reconsideration of the Depression. What he cannot seem to do is consistently apply the skills used above to his own songs. The clever irony of "Economist John" is one thing, but listeners can do without the petty insult of "Here's a Latte and My Middle Finger." Still, Moock has a gift for directness that is refreshing, and a loveworn country ballad like "Take Me When You Go" has emotion that (coupled with Tim Kelly's sweet dobro fills) nearly makes up for this EP's weaker moments.