Doug Hoekstra's literate songwriting and low-key vocal delivery have earned him comparisons to the likes of Leonard Cohen and Ray Davies. On Around the Margins, the Midwesterner's fourth solo album since disbanding Bucket No. 6, those influences are still much in evidence, while a cover of Dylan's "Isis" pays appropriate tribute to Sir Bob. But Around the Margins also finds Hoekstra stretching the sonic canvas. Gospel choruses, courtesy of former Fisk Jubilee Singers Nirva Dorsaint and Antonio Meeks, strengthen standout tracks such as "Birmingham Jail" and "The Life We Love," the latter
featuring Colleen Burke Kave on lead vocals. Jeff Kowalkowski's synthesizer on the quirky "Laminate Man" and samples on the haunting "Houses Flying" add further textural diversity, as does the odd clarinet and viola. Through it all, Hoekstra serves up finely crafted lyrics that are just oblique enough to retain an air of quiet mystery, making Around the Margins a subtly
satisfying album from a gifted singer-songwriter.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005AAUR/qid=995397979/

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