Songs such as "Green-Eyed Soul," "The Wrong Hand" and "Undecided" would have seemed out of place on earlier releases but now fit the ragged fabric of Vagabonds like children stumbling into an arcade. "My eyes are swollen, my fingertips red/Woke up this morning in need of a bed," sings Anderson on "A Long Time," expressing a weary joy that summarizes the new effort's charm perfectly. Even the traditional (and predictable) feelings of a song such as "Tom Petty" now serve as a moment of light-hearted relief instead of the standard operating procedure.
Like Brent Best (The Drams) and Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), Ed Anderson has learned that the paths of success often deviate delightfully from the limits of the straight and narrow.
