Pousette-Dart Band - Pousette-Dart Band (1976) [Reissue 2005]

Much of this self-titled debut album is in a countrified folk-pop style reminiscent of the Eagles, with nods to Jackson Browne, Gordon Lightfoot, and similar acts. Introspective acoustic guitar textures predominate ("Dancer" and "Woman in My Dreams" being two examples), but a few stylistic digressions can be found here as well. "Smile on Me" is a bouncy tune with bluegrass banjo/mandolin and an amusing stumbling chorus. "What You Need" has a halting reggae-tinged beat and punctuating brass. "Halo" is a bubbly toe-tapper with a Caribbean-flavored vocal. Perhaps the best song on the album is "All Your Lonely Hours," an edgy, haunting number with searingly bitter lyrics about a bad relationship ("You want everything for nothing/I don't think you'll ever die"). By and large, this is a fine effort worth hearing.