One of my other favorites is Smither's version of Knopfler's "Madame Geneva's." I love the original, but have to say that Smither adds a different spin, slowing it down a bit and playing up the blues aspect. Knopfler hit the nail on the head in the days of yore when the plague was high and treason was in season: "Then you'll find me in Madame Geneva's / Keeping the demons at bay / There's nothing like gin for drowning them in / But they'll always be back on a hanging day, on a hanging day..." Even today, I'm sure there are a few of us drowning our troubles in gin.

None of these songs sound over-engineered as I find all too often these days. Each recording highlights Smither's world-weary, emotive voice and amazing finger-picking. Behind that, Goody adds layers with another guitar and Trojano does a great job keeping the beat and staying out of the way. If time stands still as the album title suggests, then this album gets it moving again.

If you, like me, were oblivious to the amazing musical talents of Chris Smither, then I would strongly encourage you to pick up Time Stands Still on September 29. I promise you that if you're a folk/blues fan, you won't be sorry.

Article Author: Fitz

Brian Fitzpatrick (aka "Fitz") is a software engineer and writer living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, and two cats -- trying desperately to survive the chaos!

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