The album opens with Tragedy, the duet with Shelby Lynne. The song is a beautiful back and forth between lovers trying desperately to keep their relationship together. Sweet country fiddles add a delicate touch of melancholy to Green Fields of Summer, a lovely ballad that pairs Wolf’s rough vocals with Neko Case’s burgundy ones. Left to his own devices, Wolf creates a perfectly nice collection of songs, very few of which really stand out. Chuck Prophet’s writing chops are apparent on the hilarious Overnight Lows, a spoken word tribute to the sort of R&B pick up lines that used to permeate shows that include phrases like “quiet storm.” Wolf co-wrote eight of the tracks with Will Jennings, perhaps best known for his work with Rodney Crowell. The best of these is “Always Asking for You” about a man looking at an ex-lover with regret over what he might have had. The album closes with its most remarkable track, a duet with Merle Haggard called its Too Late for Me.
Midnight Souvenirs is an album of great writing, made merely good by commonplace vocals and generic production choices. While it’s Too Late for Me marks the albums high point, it would be a more moving and powerful ballad were it sung by Haggard alone. It is hardly an insult to say that someone has less vocal presence than Merle Haggard, or less lovely than Shelby Lynne’s or less astonishing than Neko Case’s. However, there is nothing in Wolf’s solo vocals that really spark a listener’s interest. All told, Midnight Souvenirs is a perfectly fine album, is a solid effort that neither dazzles nor truly disappoints.
You can support Peter Wolf by purchasing this album at Amazon ($5.99)| iTunes ($7.99).
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