Buffalo Tom – Quiet and Peace

Seven years on from their last studio offering Skins, all is well in the world of Buffalo Tom, the New England power trio still full of verve and vinegar. Having spent most of last year touring the 25th anniversary of their high watermark Let Me Come Over album, their new batch of songs often draw from bygone elements that will please long-term fans.

Only Living Boy in New York Freckles Little Sister (Why So Tired) (Bonus) The Seeker (Bonus) See High the Hemlock Grows Lonely Fast and Deep All Be Gone Slow Down Least That We Can Do CatVMouse Overtime Roman Cars Saturday (Bonus) In the Ice

The economy and energy of the opening All Be Gone wouldn’t have been out of place on an early Bob Mould solo release, Bill Janovitz’s plaintive vocal wrapping itself around an imagery-laden snapshot of everyday people. It’s the same story on the pocket portrait of loneliness Overtime, the existential crossroads of In The Ice, and the swirling psychedelia of Least That We Can Do.

Additional keyboards and synths fatten the sound in places without swamping the innate simplicity of the melodies, while guest singer Sarah Jessop brings an ethereal twist to High The Hemlock Grows. Likewise, Janovitz’s daughter Lucy weighs in with a delicious harmony on the reserved cover of Paul Simon’s The Only Living Boy In New York.