Tinker

Singer/songwriter Jack Logan's half-serious moniker for his backing band this time out, the Compulsive Recorders, is more than an understatement. The former mechanic and all-around average Joe who brought us a 42-song debut opus (1994's Bulk) is nothing if not prolific. Tinker, short by Logan's standards at 11 tracks, showcases some mighty tasty material recorded with ex-Liquor Cabinet guitarist and long-time Logan crony Kelly Keneipp and a slew of similarly talented fellow Georgians. The album slams out of the gate with "Genius Boy," a blast of energy not heard on a (released) Logan recording since 1996's "When It All Comes Down" (from Mood Elevator). Logan's smart, self-deprecating lyrical gifts are in fine fettle, and Keneipp's crunchy, crotch-rattling axe work absolutely belongs behind these twisted story-songs. Like all of Logan's previous material, every track is a fascinating musical journey unto itself, and listeners will find a personal message in every one of them. Tinker may not boast the insolent overload of Bulk, the immediacy of Mood Elevator or the sublime mystery of Little Private Angel, but it's vintage Logan nonetheless; a plump, satisfying collection of tunes that rock the body and roll the cerebellum.