Topical folk like this ruled FM radio in the late '60s and early '70s, but today,
Pat Humphries' odes to racial and sexual freedom and union organizing can sound pretty anachronistic. That's not to say there aren't some excellent songs on this CD, which features a preponderance of lilting originals, plus covers from the likes of
Tom Pacheco, Mimi Farina, and
Phil Ochs (whose previously unrecorded pro-labor anthem "Hands" opens the disc). Like such artists as
Joan Baez, though,
Humphries can come across as humorless and a bit preachy at times. This good album would have been better with a few light touches -- and a few less platitudes about freedom, justice, and love. ~ Jeff Burger