In fact, that's not the only Tom Waits comparison. Gern's vocals, like Tom Waits's, are kind of a raspy growl. When I got my first taste of Felicity Hamer (accordion and vocals), I thought she sounds a lot like Janis Joplin. As the album goes on, I realize she's actually closer in vocal style to Lucinda Williams than Janis.

There are some great ballads ("Out in the Cold" and "Ask Me To Stay") as well as some songs with a little more punch ("Green Means Go," "Can't Stop Now). I'd say my favorite tune on this album is "Big Ol' Dirty Tattoo." It is just a great story song. Another standout is "Union Man." This sounds like the kind of song Steve Earle writes about a working man that falls on hard times, causing his son to swear he'll be a union man.