Craig Elkins 'I Love You' - Self-Release

The Huffamoose singer steps out with his solo album and if one is to judge from the first track to greet you it may seem that Elkins is in a somewhat less that fruitful frame of mind as Offin' Myself might suggest. The rest of the album is delivered in a slightly fragile voice that is world weary but honest and self-depreciating. That honesty extends itself from the opening song through the self examination of I Can't Stop Being A Dick or I Wanted To, But I Didn't. Elkins tells a truth about himself that not everyone may want to know, but he does it with elan and a fine set of backing musicians who take his ponderings seriously. Dave Immergluck plays guitar and mandolin, Pete Thomas plays drums and these are but two of 12 musicians involved on this Elkins, Mark Fox co-produced singer/songwriter album. I Love You is the sort of album that will find some echoing the title's sentiment but others may take a different view to it's quirky honesty, restrained rootish rock-sound and memorable songs. Songs that have a subtle addictive quality if you allow them into your head. Craig Elkins is individualistic enough to stand out and get some attention. Indeed the jaunty rhythm of Tumbleweeds wouldn't sound amiss on the more selective radio shows that allow the more creative music some exposure. The album closes with Human Drag, a song with a sound that is not unlike a first cousin to some of Todd Snider's off-the-wall examinations of the foibles of human nature and those who are in tune with Snider's sometimes stoner reasonings may find much to also like with I Love You.