A multi-instrumentalist with composing chops pretty much unheard of these days, Jim Cathcart delivers a dozen tracks of superb deliciousity here (screw you, spellcheck!) ... Subtlety, beauty, intense emotional roller-coaster rides throughout. For example, check out the very end of JC's cover of Rupert Holmes' "Widescreen" ~ as the electric piano and guitar fade away, we get some very beautiful tambourine, baby cries, perhaps even a kiss (do I hear that?), a female sigh or two (!!), and OUT!! Oh heck. Why not start at that mythical -- and all-important -- BEGINNING! 1) It's a Beautiful Thing This is the major earworm here, imo. Over a simple, but extremely TIGHT, 2-chord vamp, Jimmy delivers these lyrics with a passionate intensity which is undoubtable. And what a beautiful chorus! A perfect pop song. I absolutely LOVE this track! 2) Back Roads Another real beauty! Rock 'n roll, with a very tender lyric. One of JC's strengths as a composer is his fearlessness in using unusual intervals in the vocal part (octaves, aug 4ths, etc.) ... this is thinking man's music ... really reminds of Mike Keneally, too!~ 3) I Was Missing You I'll take that personally. 4) We Could Talk It Over JC really moving here. My wife walked by and asked if this was a new Paul McCartney album!!! (amazing bg vocals!!!) 5) Oh Babe What Would You Say? I don't know who Eileen Sylvia Smith is (or was), but this is a fantastic song! JC gives it a bit of a reggae treatment with some gorgeous elec. piano floating in the bg ~ but what a gorgeous melody! Jim's voice makes this whole thing a magical trip... (again, he harmonizes with himself so beautifully. The best voice I've heard since John Lennon!) (speaking of Jim's gorgeous voice ~ personally, I would have loved to have heard more simple LR double-tracking on a track like this, ala Lennon ... otoh, this "HOT" mix has Sooooo much going on, perhaps it's just as well that the vocal rests more or less in the center, most of the time)... 6) My Buddy Not my cup of tea. But hey, 11 out of 12 ain't bad!! 7) Deal With It Love it! Very cool turn-around cadence before the vocal starts. And great composing. Very cool lyrics. This could be another huge earworm, if it can ever overtake Track #1! etc. Gotta go, but you get the idea. Cathcart is a HUGE, MASSIVE talent who should be an international star. I'll betcha anything he's an even BETTER Dad than a composer! Lew Saul