Amos is an amazingly talented dude. His skill set is broad and deep enough that he could obviously just fuck off to Nashville or someplace and get a music industry job of some sort, were he so inclined. Instead, he hangs around the Fox Valley, playing in bands, writing songs, putting out records, running a recording studio, and living the life of a paragon of DIY virtue. Hooray for our side! This album is his pandemic baby: Recorded in lockdown, fueled by isolation/rage/despair, parked interminably at a pressing plant. Untethered from social contrivance, Amos goes wherever his muse dictates: “I’m So Angry” has a country lope that’s more associated with his band Dusk, but there’s this screamingly overdriven distorted guitar chord in the background that I suppose might be more Tenement-esque. It’s an unexpected but highly effective combination that doesn’t really have a ton of easily identifiable precedent. Heck, there are even bits here that sound like Steely Dan or Kenny Loggins, yet one is always inclined to give such things a chance, figuring Amos is up to something cool and it’s best to hear him out. Thus, hear him out. BEST SONG: “I’m So Angry.” BEST SONG TITLE: “(We Got It Made) In the USA.” FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: The first time I remember talking to Amos, he’d parked his car—unlocked, with windows open and an old boombox on the passenger seat—directly in front of the club where his band was playing. I was trying to impress/amuse some girls, so I asked him if I could use his boombox. He said sure, so I went outside, grabbed his boombox, and imitated John Cusack’s iconic Say Anything boombox-holding pose for them. Then I put it back.–Rev. Nørb (Jac World)