New Beginnings

It’s not too much of a reach to describe Tennessee Jed Fisher, the songwriter, lead singer and lead guitarist, as a ferocious yet finely-tuned bundle of nervous energy.  On these mostly all-original high-energy songs, which he coproduced with Scott Vestal, relying on an array of top-flight musicians, he mostly hits the mark and occasionally even flies past it.

“Devereaux Run” is an exhilarating, traditionally flavored story-song charged with vivid imagery and injected with super-cool picking, as are all these selections. “House On Wheels” is a spirited celebration of contemporary nomadic life.

“Now That You’ve Got Me (You Suddenly Don’t Want Me)” is an amazingly clever and on-the-money love lament spiced up with a catchy modulation and a neat slap-bass interlude.

On more introspective, soul-searching and often mysterious outings like “The World Cried Wolf” (a timely wakeup call during deeply troubled times), the defiant “Devil’s Deal” and the mesmerizing, genre-defying “Who We Are,” Fisher wades into more cosmic and mysterious territory.

Not to be overlooked are a pair of exquisite and imaginative covers. Fisher serves up an outstanding and well-deserved reprise of “Drivin’ My Life Away,” a captivating Eddie Rabbit country hit of yesteryear. Just as provocative is an exquisitely reimagined version of the quirky Beatles classic “Norwegian Wood.”