Steve Turner

Remember Mudhoney? That Seattle band may not have been Nirvana, but it was an important exponent of the city’s world-famous sound in the early-1990s. As the bespectacled lead guitarist and lyricist behind guitar-playing frontman Mark Arm, Turner was a key contributor to Mudhoney’s bluesy assault; he was in the seminal Seattle band Green River, too. History aside, on this solo album, Turner demonstrates he’s a damned fine songwriter and decent singer, with a grasp of folk, blues and old country forms and how they intersect with rock music’s core architectural design. The 14 songs here reek of rainy-day jam sessions, interludes of listening to old Dylan albums and refreshments quaffed. The disc gives up its charms slowly and comes alive with repeated playing. Hunt it down. You won’t regret it.