The trick is to breathe

"His voice stays on key, but he knows better than to stretch and reach for notes. His limited range reinforces the "aw shucks" persona. That also gives the record an intimate feel. He may not be telling personal stories about himself, but there is an element of confession conveyed. The songs' narrators remain mysterious even as they reveal themselves. We don't know the names of the boy and girl at the "Circle Bar". "Everywhere" could literally be anywhere and is meant to be that way, and so on".

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"The bluegrass canter of "I'll Forget You Very Well" waves a mandolin pick in the direction of Bill Monroe, "Between The General And The Grave" is a First World War saga that could have come from the pen of Kristofferson, while the sparse "Circle Bar" (written for a Long Ryders reunion but never recorded) addresses the death of a peer. Beyond the spontaneity and freshness of the arrangements, it's Griffin's innate skill as a storyteller that marks the album out as a high-water mark in a career that has always celebrated traditional American music with eloquence and boundless enthusiasm".