Dan Reeder

Oh Boy Records head John Prine sure can pick ’em. Here are the home recordings of a back-porch savant—crude, silly, guitar-and-voice ditties that highlight rich, gospel-informed vocal harmonies. Reeder built many of his instruments out of spare parts (e.g., “trash ukulele,” “trash bass”), and much of the material here has a similar scraped-together quality—stray thoughts gaffer-taped to a few simple chords. “Will I someday see the light and become a saint? … Is that car gonna stop?” he sings over a bluesy guitar and harp in “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.” Elsewhere, as in “Work Song,” he turns a single thought into a mantra (complete lyrics: “I got all the fuckin’ work I need”). Still, when Reeder’s humor dies out, he’s got tunefulness to spare. More information is at www.ohboy.com.