Break Your Mother’s Heart

Reviewed by:
David Peisner

“A pack of dull monkeys could write circles around that fourth-grade, mumbly, slang, stream-of-consciousness jive you call a song,” Tim Easton sings on “Poor, Poor LA,” the self-mocking opener to his new album, Break Your Mother’s Heart. Well, nobody can accuse the Ohio-bred singer-songwriter of having a big head, but he ought to cut himself some slack. Easton’s a damn fine songwriter, and he’s put together a crack band to play these 10 tunes. In fact, at times they’re too good. Whether rolling gently through the twangy “Amor Azul” or kicking out the bluesy shuffle “Lexington Jail,” Easton’s compadres (who include studio vets Hutch Hutchinson and Jim Keltner) play with such professional grace that their work often ends up sounding too much like their past gigs backing Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, John Hiatt, and the like. There are a hell of a lot worse things than to be mentioned in such company, but Break Your Mother’s Heart is actually most interesting when Easton’s own personality shines through.