I Hear the Wind In the Wires

Veteran Canadian blues artist Jim Byrnes takes a detour into vintage country terrain on I Hear the Wind in the Wires. The tunes here lean toward Nashville’s pre-'70s era, with well-chosen numbers by pop/rock artists like Nick Lowe (“Sensitive Man”) and Tom Waits (“House Where Nobody Lives”) thrown in for leavening. Byrnes’ grizzled vocals get inside the songs' lovelorn torment and wry humor, whether the mood is bleak (“Ribbon of Darkness”), plaintive (“The Bargain Store”), or playful (“Above and Beyond”). He’s especially strong on Marty Robbins’ dramatic gunfighter ballad “Big Iron” and Hank Williams’ jaunty barroom classic “Honky Tonk Blues.” High points include Colleen Rennison’s fiery duet vocals on “Pickin’ Wild Mountain Berries” and The Sojourners’ stirring gospel harmonizing on “Harbor of Love." Producer Steve Dawson’s virtuosic instrumental touch is evident throughout, as he lays down mournful pedal steel lines and dishes out searing slide guitar licks. All told, I Hear the Wind in the Wires is a loving tribute to country's golden era, delivered with enough individual style to make even the familiar sound fresh.