Sunday Shoes

Nels Andrews does a number of things right on Sunday Shoes. He's got the world-weary voice to carry the weight of his songs, and a solid, country-rock production with a nice mix of acoustic and electric guitars. The problem will be separating him from a dozen other alternative country singers. This isn't to say that Sunday Shoes is a bad album, or that it will not fit snugly into alternative country play lists. Andrews gives the impression of being older than his years, with well-honed singer/songwriter lyrics on songs like "Jesse's Mom." He also knows how to tastefully add odds and ends — some mandolin here, some banjo there — to balance out the arrangements. The vocals are also bolstered nicely by the presence of Michelle Collins, who sings right beneath Andrews, giving the choruses a little something extra. Unfortunately, the songs are a bit long and wear out their welcome before they end. And while downbeat material is certainly grist for the mill, one has a feeling that Andrews — from the album's front cover to the hard luck lyrics — is going out of his way to embody a certain style. Sunday Shoes shows a band and a singer reaching out but unable to transcend alternative country formulas. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi