The next three songs, however, cement Dignity and Shame as a great entry into the Crooked Fingers catalog. "You Must Build A Fire" is a quiet and thoughtful offering, very reminiscent of past works, evoking the gorgeously haunting melodies of "She Spread Her Legs and Flew Away," from Crooked Fingers' self-titled album. The next track, "Valerie," is a foot-stomping, upbeat love song that kicks the album into a higher gear, much in the vein of Red Devil Dawn's "Sweet Marie." The Southwestern feel from "Islero" resurfaces in this song and is used to great effect. "Andalucia" keeps that tone going, another track with a faster pace than much of the rest of the album.

In "Sleep All Summer," Meyerratken is used in a much more organic way, showing how best to utilize her singing voice. She pairs up with Bachmann better than on "Twilight Creeps" and keeps her voice keyed lower, softer and more soothing, in a way that fits the album's overall tone.

After the fast beat and loud, tumbling sounds of "Coldways," the album slows down with the final two songs. The title track, which is the final song, is perhaps the finest work of the album. Cautious and contemplative, Bachmann dwells with his lyrics, backed only by a piano for much of the song. "Dignity and Shame" is the perfect closer to the album, beautifully encapsulating the entire work and living up to the promise of the opening track. In the end, I wish that the entire album could have matched the brilliance of the opening and closing songs. If it had, it would truly have been a masterpiece. As it is, though, there are problems in the first half of the album. A couple of weak songs and some incongrous sounds detract from the overall feel of the CD. However, the second half of the album is wonderful, and there are tracks on here that match some of Crooked Fingers' best work. This isn't a perfect album, certainly, but it is a very good one that Crooked Fingers fans would be remiss to ignore and that those unfamiliar with the band's work are encouraged to hear.