Sunday Bridge

The Sixth Great Lake returns with the subdued Sunday Bridge, a vinyl-only release on Memphis-based Tup Keewah Recordings. The band continues to conjure up country, folk and Southern spirits with their relaxed, acoustic approach. The group shares songwriting duties equally, with Zach Ward, Chris Ziter and Michael Barrett all contributing four songs each. Ward is first with the breezy "Old Smoke," followed by Ziter's sly "The Saint." Barrett is up next with organ and sentimentality on "Everybody Loves," at which point the first side is only halfway finished. Each singer has plenty more ammunition in the tank as the album plays out. Ziter's "Seven Stripes" is jaw-dropping for its simplicity. Barrett's "Twenty-Three Songs" is the epic of the album, if there was one. It's a standout for its storytelling approach, following a man around on his day-to-day activities, only adding more to the group's everyman quality. Ward's "House Song" is a carefree track adding more emphasis to the album's sleepy town appeal. The album ends much as it begins: the three men playing and singing casually with the occasional guest musician, making each listener feel like a fly on the wall. The album's intimacy makes it an excellent follow-up to 2001's Up the Country.