Bill Staines – Old Dogs

At 60, Bill Staines relies a little more on his lower register than he once did, but he still makes some of the friendliest folk music around. This time out, the Massachusetts native dips into a musical grab-bag that includes well-traveled tunes such as his own “Sweet Wyoming Home”, Guy Clark’s “Lone Star Hotel Cafe” and Norman Blake’s “Uncle Sam”. Bowen Staines, Bill’s son, lends his talents as lead guitarist on John Stewart’s “Cody”, about a long-haired madman; the song, alas, sinks beneath the weight of its sentimental stereotype. The title track, a Staines original, is an irresistible tribute to the sheer dogginess of, well, old dogs.