"Postcards From Hell" is memorable for it's Jerry Jeff Walker-esque character sketch of a talented, but struggling troubadour who's got the ability to sing the blues so well because he's "got a soul that I won't sell and I don't read postcards from Hell."

"Pray Enough" is a funky gospel that preaches "if you're going to be the fool then you better be tough." "Loaded" is a slower, cowboy number about saying regrettable things after drinking too much. "Twisted" is almost like a companion to "Loaded," in that the narrator is relating the sorry state he's in, but the song has a much stronger blues element.

Chris makes his debut lead vocal turn on his own composition "Don't Look Back." He's not a terrible singer, but before I checked the credits I thought the brothers brought in a female guest vocalist to sing the part. Perhaps that's another way of saying that one song with a lead vocal is good, but anymore than one would have been too much.

I'm happy to report that his bass playing, all of it acoustic, is as solid as ever. Some listeners may notice that it's a little further up front in the mix than what's normal for simple folk-blues, but it's not too intrusive. You won't hear Chris play many solos or go hot-dogging it; he knows his role on this record and uses it to augment his brother, not upstage him.

There's three covers toward the end of the album. "Make Me Down A Pallet On Your Floor" has a distinctive Big Easy beat that only one drummer can play: Chris' other MMW cohort Billy Martin. Bob Dylan's "Buckets Of Rain" is a low-key rendering with only the Brothers performing it live in the studio.

The standout cover is of Jimi Hendrix's sublime ballad "Angel." The glistening guitar chords played at the start seems out of place with the rest of the album, but the song quickly settles into a relaxed reggae groove that's a much better matche for Oliver's warble than if this tune was played straight. Singer-songwriter Amos Lee does a nice job handling the singing on the second verse.

Two brothers from opposite ends of the musical spectrum getting together to play music that's a little different from what either is known for playing could get by one time as a novelty. Chris and Oliver Wood evidently don't see themselves that way, though. Recording their second album in just over two years and revealing some real growth along the way shows that these guys mean business.

A family-run business.