Across the breadth of the 12 songs that comprise his latest release Buffalo Hotel, singer-songwriter Geoff Gibbons breathes life into lyrics with facile economy, metaphoric ease and an ear for conversational proximity. As verses turn the pages of the stories, Gibbons drops the listener directly into the dramas as he silhouettes a vibrant cast of characters in sheer authenticity. Backed by players from a tight community of first call studio musicians, Geoff’s soul deep vocals are imbued with experience and empathy. Against the intimate grain of his voice, the players reflect his themes with subtle flourishes and stellar musicianship. Among the highlights: We encounter a traveler “worn out and weary,” seeking the light of true love against a backdrop of Memphis grooves and tight harmonies in “Back To You.” A daring couple in love head drive a Cadillac Eldorado toward the desert in “Blinded by Tumbleweeds”; an elegy in “Lonesome Angel,” for an elusive singer with “songs like velvet arrows falling somber rain.” The wounded but reconciled protagonist framed by vocal harmonies and banjo reaching his truths on “The Other Side,” the resolute drifter departing down a well-traveled road, far from the romantic wreckage on “Ain’t Goin’ Back.”