Bobby Bare, Jr.'s
Young Criminals' Starvation League

From the End of Your Leash

(Bloodshot)

First Appeared in The Music Box, July 2004, Volume 11, #7

Written by T.J. Simon

The quirkily clever music of Bobby Bare, Jr. is hard to pigeonhole into a particular genre, although most of the time he has one foot firmly planted in the alt-country world and the other foot rooted in the realm of acoustic rock. Therefore, it isn’t terribly surprising that his latest outing From the End of Your Leash offers a dozen innovative, genre-jumping tracks, and given he’s been perfecting this eclectic format for awhile, it’s also not a shock that this is his strongest release to date. Granted, Bare’s unconventional vocal style isn’t for everyone, but the songs on this disc are so likable and charming that he’s bound to win over even the harshest skeptics. His wry lyrics owe a lot to the writings of Shel Silverstein, whose Things I Didn’t Say is covered on the album, and on Borrow Your Girlfriend, he adeptly turns the "cars as girls" metaphor on its head. His wacky sense of humor also shines on Music City, a tribute to his Nashville birthplace, on which he recalls having his umbilical cord cut by Roy Acuff in a town where, as he tells it, the police will help you tune your guitar. As always, his band’s musicianship is top- notch, and the arrangements are often spiced with a well-orchestrated horn section, particularly on the punchy Valentine and the album’s strongest and most infectious number Your Adorable Beast. While his liberal usage of the "f-word" might offend a few straight-laced fans, most will find From the End of Your Leash to be quite enjoyable.

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Ratings

1 Star:   Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2004 The Music Box