Desperate Parade

After taking a stab at professional country songwriting, jam band vet Jerry Castle (his group was Toast) decides to take a weathered, weary roots rock route on his third solo album, 2013's Desperate Parade. The shift in tone is immediately apparent — this isn't so much about hooks or succinct songwriting, but rather loose, ragged midtempo anthems and rockers, punctuated by moody ballads. Castle has some edges on his thin voice and he surrounds himself with professional players (including Bobby Keys) who know how to let a song breathe, and both elements factor into Desperate Parade feeling lived in, not tossed off; this has the contours of a life lived. At times, the album feels like a conscious reaction to a lack of success, as these are a songwriter's songs, with subtly honed melodies and lyrics, the only immediacy deriving from the performances. But those performances do lure a listener into a sturdy bit of Americana, an album where it feels like a longtime troubadour is finally speaking in his authentic voice.