I have to be in the right mood to enjoy a largely blues album. When it's a mixture of country and blues, the mood can be even more elusive. But when I popped Anthony Neff's offering into my CD player and settled in for a listen with my cup of coffee, I was almost immediately drawn in.

Maybe it was the catchy and clever lyrics on the opening title track...smart and funny, which brought a smile to my lips, and if I'd been standing would have put a bounce in my step. Or maybe it was the second track, "Porchlight", a somber ballad that has an almost vague beauty, sneaking up on tip toes to surprise you with the strong impression it makes.

The production quality is quite nice, professional, but it imparts a warmth and coziness that perfectly suits the songs. It's especially nice on the ballads. You feel like Anthony's singing the song just for you.

Anthony's got a nice voice, perfectly suited to both the soft ballads and rollicking country blues ditties he's chosen for his ten song release. It tumbles along nicely on the up tempo "Excuses For A Friend" and floats on the more temperate "Love To Burn" and the gently pretty "Fake Love".

One of the nicer, and they're all pretty nice, aspects of the album is the genuine and often clever choice of lyrics. They're more noticeable on the less blues heavy tracks, where the music takes a leading role, but they shine throughout, for the most part.

Add some nice horn to the guitar, bass and drums and you get a memorable sound on "Don't Wanna Cry No More". "Enemy" is a rocker, with nice vocals and tempo. And you can't help but smile at the silly simplicity of "Oh My My".

This isn't a disc I'll listen to all the time, but it is one I'll recommend to friends who like blues and blues country. And I'm sure I'll pluck it from my ever expanding collection from time to time to listen to my favorites, especially the gorgeous closer, "Buckskin Stallion Blues", a gentle blues ballad with sad, somber vocals.

Favorite Tracks:
#1 | Generation X-istential Blues
#3 | Excuses For A Friend
#7 | Love To Burn
#10 | Buckskin Stallion Blues

Reviewed by compgeekgirl
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This CD is so much fun. Lots of anti-corporate sentiment for you fans of "Office Space" and those who have been downsized (like me!). Anthony's voice is powerful and emotive and when added to his skills as a guitarist, he comes off as a seasoned performer with a great shot at being successful. Some might call his style "alt-country" and they would be correct but I feel like it's much more than that. Anthony evokes stark imagery with his lyrical content and the listener cannot help but be drawn in. 
Great work Anthony.
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Anthony Neff seems to have all the pieces fitting together here. The songwriting is solid, the production is slick, and the vocals are smooth at times, at other times a bit rough. The songs on Neff's CD flow with a great simplicity which makes this a CD well worth the effort. The style here has been attempted before, but not always to the highest of standards. This CD does come complete with some surprises. "Oh My My" is one of the great surprises, it could have as easily been recorded by John Prine as Neff. Anthony pulls it off, keeping the music and vocals basic which this song deserves.

This project takes us on a trek through the world of "Americana" music and all it engulfs. From roots blues to country-rock and folk . The songs are well crafted, even if the style has been heard before, Neff brings a natural ease to a collection of songs that deserve attention. "Fake Love" is a wonderful folk "story" that sends you on a journey of lost love and lost hope as a couple have been drifting apart.

Neff even pays homage to one of the great songwriters of the modern age. "Buckskin Stallion Blues", a Townes Van Zandt classic was treated here with great class and style. Anthony Neff is a songwriter himself that deserves recognition, as he can hold his own with any songwriter today, and even with some of the greats of the past. He weaves his thoughts and emotions in a way that forces you to turn it up a bit louder and escape in the lyrics. A great effort, and makes me wonder what is coming next from Neff.
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