Following up the sumptuous “Blood’s Too Rich,” Doucet opts for a shorter, punchier route to rock. Sloan’s Andrew Scott is all over this one: co-writing four songs, producing and drumming. The city of Hamilton is muse, especially for the comics liner by David Collier. Doucet wears influences on his sleeve. Thankfully, they are many and varied, from Nick Drake (“Magpie”) to Keith Richards (“Dirty Dirty Blonde”) to a rocking rendition of Lightfoot’s “Sundown.” Usually, there’s an improvised closing to keep you on your toes.
This article appears in Sep 23-29, 2010.