Greg Klyma wears his influences on his sleeve—literally, on the CD sleeve—on his group’s second CD. As the group sits around a table, a Bob Dylan songbook is cracked open. On the floor is a Dylan poster, a Waylon & Willie album jacket, and 8×10 photos of all four Beatles.
That may reveal where this Buffalo musician and his band are coming from, but not necessarily where they’re going. While the group’s first disc (Greatest Hits And Assorted Mood Swings, from 1995) was a White Album-like conglomeration of Klyma’s recordings in various styles in recent years, this one is more of a piece, with a folksy feel, laid-back reminiscences of old girlfriends (“Magruder’s Daughter” and “I Loved My Sara Jo”), and a singer-songwriter’s eye for detail.
Still, while those songs have the stronger country-folk hooks, I find myself drawn to the harder-edged tunes. The chiming guitar solo of “Crutch”, the high energy of “Sometimes Yes, Sometimes No”, and the drum-powered “Promise You” showcase the pop side to Klyma’s rapidly developing writing.
There’s one clunker (“Worn Down Gypsy Man” isn’t particularly original), but Klyma still has marked himself as an artist to watch as he follows inspirations and seeks to put his own spin on them.
