How do you define a record that refuses to define itself? You don't. You just recommend that people go out and buy it to discover the rootsy folk-rock magic for themselves. As its name suggests, "Torn Up Routes" -- the sophomore release from poet and musician Ian Fitzgerald -- is full of tales of travel and transition, both real and metaphorical. Defined by Dylanesque poetry and stripped-down melodies that serve the lyrics rather than overpower them, the album blends past, present and future in a format that is technically modern folk, but in reality sounds like a relic of a decidedly less modern world. Vivid and haunting, "Torn Up Routes" is a 12-song trip that anyone who appreciates good music should take. -Lauren Carter The Sun Chronicle