Almost three decades separates the two solo albums from sideman and occasional frontman Blondie Chaplin. Best known to the general public, if he's known at all, for lead vocals on the Beach Boys' Sail on Sailor, Chaplin has nonetheless worked more consistently as backing vocalist with the Rolling Stones, even appearing on 2005's A Bigger Bang. The singer/guitarist scales down on this 2006 release, sticking with a basic trio format and keeping the folk-rock sound acoustic based. It's a low-key yet impressive outing that smartly focuses on Chaplin's honeyed tenor voice, a ringer for that of Canada's Ron Sexsmith. There are ten lovely songs here (a hidden eleventh track is an instrumental) that float on Chaplin's emotional voice and lovelorn lyrics. The album was recorded in fits and starts over a two-year (2003-2005) period, but hangs together as a cohesive work due to the strength of the material, production (also by Chaplin with Keith Lentin) and especially the singer's exquisite vocals. He shifts from soul mode to a thrilling falsetto just often enough to incite goose bumps. Even though these tunes don't often jump out on first listen, they set up a moving, emotional vibe that is both striking and subtle. The opener Between Us along with So Hard and Love You Till I Die resonate simple sentiments through performances that shimmer in restrained passion. Other tracks such as Children of War and I Heads on Fire tackle more worldly matters. But Chaplin never sounds less than committed and even the weakest songs succeed due his controlled self-confidence and enthusiasm. A few more upbeat selections might have helped the album's flow, but this remains a stirring collection that will hopefully bring the artist slightly further towards the spotlight in a career that has been spent primarily behind it. ~ Hal Horowitz, Rovi

1		Between Us
2		Heal the Rage
3		Hurricane
4		So Hard
5		Mother Smother
6		Children of War
7		Love Power
8		I Heads On Fire
9		Love You Till I Die
10		Crawl
11		Bonus Track [Instrumental]

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