Last Train Home

FRONTED BY Eric Brace, Last Train Home play a mix of folk-rock and roots country, at times recalling early Fairport Convention as much as hard-core country.

Brace has written eight of the twelve songs here, and his voice has an aching quality well-suited to the mostly mid-tempo material. All the songs are well played, the core musicians (including brother Alan on harmony vocals, mandolin and harmonica) being well attuned to the mood of the songs, which concern the kind of soul-searching scenarios that most can relate to.

The music's most immediate impact is melodic. 'List Of Sorrows' and 'Angelina' are both good examples, the guitar and mandolin sitting easily alongside the bass, drums and electric guitar. David Van Allen's pedal steel guitar adds another texture to emphasise the essentially world-weary resignation of 'List Of Sorrows', while 'Angelina' is filled with a sense of longing for the object of the writer's affections. This mood of cool poignancy prevails throughout the album's 12 tracks.

Last Train Home are one of many American bands whose work is, outside of their home state, destined to remain largely ignored. This is a pity since, while there is nothing startlingly new on offer here, this is an enjoyable collection of songs.