Peter Case has been releasing jaunty roots-inflected albums since the 90s (and I've reviewed a few of them), and those have come after his stints in the Plimsouls and the Nerves. This is not one of those albums. His main accompaniment on this set is a piano, and these songs are much more ruminative than his usual fare. There's a Rufus Wainwright meets Randy Newman feel to a lot of these songs, but most of the time Case trends darker.

Peter Case Doctor Moan (Sunset Blvd. Productions)

His wit is still sharp and observational; it's just the music that has shifted. And I'm probably overstating that. Bounding piano chords have a vastly different feel than a strummed guitar, and the piano lends itself to the more deliberate feel of these songs.

Never one to succumb to an excess of ornamentation, many of these songs are basically Case and his piano. But his playing is expressive, and so the songs never sound sparse. There's always plenty in the mix.

I'm one who has found many Case albums to be interchangeable. Not so here. The voice is the same, but the sound is a real departure. For me, that's a plus. More devoted fans might have some trouble connecting. I get that, but I'm glad Case found some new pathways. This is a stretch worth hearing.

Jon Worley