Fred Eaglesmith

Much like his last effort, 1997's Lipstick Lies and Gasoline, Fred J Eaglesmith has created another solid album that distances him from his folky roots. 50-Odd Dollars finds Fred offering up 11 new tracks that have a slightly American slant to them. With song themes again relating primarily towards cars, women, and the deep South, Eaglesmith's songs make him seem from the Southern states, not Ontario. Half the songs on the disc would be at home in any show by Butch Hancock or Jimmy Dale Gilmore. So here's hoping people closer to his own home will discover what most American roots rock fans already seem to know — Fred Eaglesmith is the real deal.