Tell It to the Dust

After recording four albums under the moniker Varnaline (a band seemingly comprised of whomever he felt like working with at the time), Anders Parker finally steps out from behind his alter ego for his first solo album, Tell It to the Dust, and truth be told it isn't all that different from what he's been doing all along. Tell It to the Dust leans a bit harder on Parker's pop influences than 2001's Songs in a Northern Key, but given the man's talent for writing smart but compelling hooks, that's a good thing, and his guitar work splits the difference between melodic warmth and aggressive crunch with skill and intelligence. Parker handles most of the instrumental chores here (though a few friends stop by to help, including Jay Farrar of Son Volt and Sara Bell from Shark Quest), and his traditional blend of the fractured melodic wanderlust of indie rock and the roots-friendly vibe of Americana continues to inform these songs. The graceful sway of "Don't Worry Honey, Everything's Gonna Be Alright," the patent meditation of "Innocents," and the muscular hookiness of the title cut and "Goodbye Friend" prove that Parker's muse wasn't letting him down on these sessions, and this set ranks with his strongest work to date. While Tell It to the Dust doesn't sound like an especially more personal or revealing set than Parker's albums as Varnaline, it's good enough that one can understand why the man didn't feel like hiding behind a pseudonym, and with songs this good, the man has the right to crow a little.