Impasse

Reviewed by:
David Peisner

Country-folk troubadour Richard Buckner doesn’t write songs, he writes albums. His fifth, Impasse, is no exception: It plays like an epic poem about love and how to deal with losing it. Amazingly, this divorce requiem is probably the most upbeat thing the famously dour Buckner has ever delivered (which, truth be told, is still pretty dark). With the music shuffling along at an energetic clip, his bear-like baritone and often dusty guitar work are brightened with nimble drumming and touches of keyboards and vibes. “I’m glad I rolled/I’m glad you came,” he sings on the practically sprightly “(A Year Ahead)…& a Light.” On “& the Clouds’ve Lied,” he continues the tale, moaning, “I’m going on alone,” over a vibrant swell of guitars, organ, and percussion. These are songs about picking up, moving on, and being happy for what you had, rather than dwelling on what was left behind. The rub is that Buckner plays all the instruments here save one: drums are handled by Penny Jo Buckner, who was his wife at the time. Not surprisingly, she’s now his ex-wife.

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