The Beige

Jon Wood’s atmospheric touch serves the Beige songwriting of Rick Maddocks well and turns what might have been a crash into a soft and uneventful landing. Maddocks is by no means uninspired, but you can’t help but envision the tragedy had he hooked up with the wrong crowd. Along with Wood’s contributions on lap steel, the miscellany of sound that accompanies the vocals on this disc is what really holds the show together. Accordion, cello and trumpet give the songs depth and gently draw an endearing sense of hope and confidence out of Maddock’s voice and otherwise bland lyrics. The album features some long ones: journeys so deep into space that upon return it seems as though the world’s gotten older and so have you. Perhaps best left for a rainy day, a long drive, or an occasion that calls for something beige.