One of the key successful elements of Fox Television's House is the creators' ability to pick a variety of old and new day musicians to furnish the soundtrack of the rather complex Hugh Laurie-lead medical drama. This style led me to hear for the first time the rather angelic, if not overtly depressed vocals of Amos Lee through his song "Colors," which was featured in one of the show's earlier seasons. When I heard that Amos was releasing another album, I was doing it on the impression that his songs would pretty much all be in that style.

Boy was I wrong.

Last Days In The Lodge definitely goes to show that some musicians can escape vocally and lyrically from the songs that put them on the map. The album, almost, sounds like a lost collection of Bob Dylan songs that were never recorded. I'm not kidding.

Maybe he made a change during his second album that I wasn't aware of and this is the style that he carried over from a previous effort. If this is the case, then apologies all around to Amos Lee fans for mistaking his style for Dylan's. Nevertheless the album is good on its own merits despite the rather Dylanesque lyrics and vocals.

As I cruise through the album's 11 songs (written by Lee himself) I take note of the good tracks for those observing this album for a listen. "Listen" is a nice little message song about being aware of what's going on in your world. The ever so simple "Baby I Want You" is a nice romantic yarn that could have easily been a song on a Paul McCartney album. "What's Been Going On" should be the former song's sequel, with the focus even being a breakup, but it differs slightly as the lyrics are not so sappy and more edgy like "Colors" was. 

"Street Corner Preacher" goes about discussing the plight of prisoners with felony records trying to find new lives in a world that doesn't want them. "It Started To Rain" is kinda like "What's Been Going On" but even sadder, yet I tend to like Amos Lee's singing when he's at his moodiest. "Better Days" is a good song of hope for those who are suffering in life and wish for better things to come.

I can't say that I have a favorite among the tracks. If you had to force me on the floor and put a shoe to my neck to make me tell you what I think is the best, then I would have to say it was "It Started To Rain." I prefer the darker Amos Lee for some reason than the urgent need-to-get-my-voice-loud Amos Lee.

Lee fans can purchase this album with the idea that they will get more quality songs from the singer and they wouldn't be right in that regard. Some Lee fans probably will wonder to themsleves if they purchased a Bob Dylan album or an album from Amos Lee, but that worry should be left up to those who concern themsleves with such trivial things.

Dylanesque or not, Last Days At The Lodge is a good because it's different vocally from Amos Lee other albums. A singer who cannot break through the wall of the familar that made them famous will never be able to grow musically. Amos Lee has done that in this case. No one, not even the most hardcore fans of his music can knock him for that.

Do you?