The Lonestar Hitchhiker

Album Review

Inspired by a rather innocent New York City subway conversation, Don DiLego spent months travelling along Route 66 to discover different people and their stories. The end product is an Americana, trip-hop account that is as intriguing as it is quirky. Most of the album lends itself to roots rock in the vein of Wilco, but a song like the title track calls to mind Primitive Radio Gods. Although a couple of tracks seem to fall through the sonic cracks, like "Mister Goodwill" and "The Vegas Man!," there are several instances where the passion for the project overcomes any noticeable faults. The '60s pop in "Nicotine Prom Queen" and the nomadic balladry of "Border Song" make the record surpass possible expectations. "I've passed the point where my common sense died," DiLego sings. The coda throws a wrench into the overall effort but, nonetheless, the craftsmanship often comes to the fore, particularly on "California."