After
Bought the Farm's successful amalgamation of all of
Captain Tractor's strong points, it's puzzling to see a follow-up with so little of the band's charm. Opting for a more pop polish, the songs are well-written and well-played, but ultimately they're also rendered somewhat faceless. The Celtic influence is thrown on the back burner, and many of the songs sound downright lethargic. Songwriter
Annette Ducharme helps perk things up a bit (but just a bit) with a few co-writes with the band, and occasionally the band manages an upbeat track like "How Do You Figure That?," but it's not enough to save the album. By corporate rock standards, this is a tad more interesting than most, but for those familiar with the band's previous work, it's a yawn. ~ Sean Carruthers