SPECTATOR (Raleigh NC) (July 10, 2002)

Discology - Doug Hoekstra / The Past Is Never Past (Inbetweens)

Nashville's Hoekstra issued the excellent Around the Margins last year; this import-only collection represents that album's leftovers plus songwriting demos and odds 'n' sods. Yet far from being throwaway material, it's comparable to Steve Earle's recent Sidetracks: stylistically diverse, at times quirky, but still essential for fans. The singer-songwriter's burnished whisper remains a recognizable calling card in any context. From the dreamlike vibe and airy folk of "Oh, Zamira" and the alt-country jangle-pop of "Break My Fall" (somebody get Lucinda Williams to cover this tune fast!) to the vocal recitation in piano ballad "Drops Fell from My Fingertips" and a Nick Cave–like reading of the Brecht-Weill chestnut "Ballad of the Soldier's Wife," Hoekstra's newly revealed chameleonic side is an unruly, inelegant and altogether charming affair. -- Fred Mills

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