True to the title, there is a Latin lilt to Eaglesmith’s latest, with soothing, swaying backup vocals from the Ginn sisters. They take the edge off a desolation and dissipation that can make Tom Waits sound like a boy band. Nobody does sad, mad and wounded like Fred. The words justify it, particularly “Shallow”: “I could be that shallow too, if only I wasn’t in so deep.” Rage at an ex swells into indictment of poor choices all around. “Dynamite and Whiskey” gets deliciously swampy. A rural Ontarian, Eaglesmith is not really a country artist. He’s more a tough guy who feels too much.
This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2010.