Furtado's bluegrassy take on The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" pairs well with a slide-guitar-enhanced version of John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son," and Furtado's own songs showcase the slew of talent helping Furtado out on the record. There's Bob Dylan's former drummer, Winston Watson, keeping the tempo sweet and solid; producers Sean Slade (Radiohead, Pixies, Dresden Dolls) and Jim Dickinson (Ry Cooder, Rolling Stones) caressing the Wurlitzer, organ and piano; and Portland, Ore., singer-songwriter Stephanie Schneiderman offering vocals that provide a smooth complement to Furtado's own James Taylor-esque voice.
But something raw is at work in songs like "Another Man" and the dramatic "Thirteen Below," inspired by the Sago mine disaster last January; with its mournful guitar melody and refrain of "13 was a lucky man, 12 lost below," "Thirteen Below" sounds like it could have been written 100 years ago. Even among playful tunes like "Sevens" and "I Wait for This," in Furtado's banjo and slide guitar, raw emotion still burns.
