Songs about flawed people who know they're flawed and have decided there's not much to be done about their flaws. We're not talking about assholes, just regular people who know who they are. There's something noble in that.

China And Then Nothing Happened (Royal Oakie Records)

China has an affection for the country folk rock of the late 60s and early 70s (so: Gram, Byrds, Neil, etc.), but the instrumentation and arrangements are much more modern americana. These songs are tightly-wound, no matter how lovely the ringing electric piano and horns might be.

And it's not just a nod to history that this album was produced using the old Muscle Shoals MCI console. It's not impossible to accomplish that warm glow sound with the modern digital setups, but it is simply much easier to find it in analog equipment. That sound is the real link between the band and the past, and it is a rich one.

Lyrics are generally the last thing I notice when reviewing music. But the characters in these songs are so compelling that I spent most of my time wondering who would come wandering out of the speakers next. Human and engaging, And Then Nothing Happened is profound with being pretentious. A nice trick, that.

Jon Worley