** Vic Chesnutt

THE SALESMAN AND BERNADETTE

(Capricorn)

Fans of folky Georgia singer/songwriter Vic Chesnutt's early output are likely to be disappointed by this lackluster collaboration with the 12-piece Nashville-based avant-country ensemble Lambchop. Chesnutt's got a unique voice and a down-home style that's come through well on previous, more acoustic-based albums. Here his songs are cluttered with horns, percussion, and keyboard embellishments. "Until the Led," a rollicking pop number with a propulsive Velvetsy rhythm guitar and growling vocals, is just one of the promising tunes spoiled by Lambchop's bleating horn section, which at times sounds like an overeager elementary-school band attempting Herb Alpert.

But the disc's biggest problem is its lack of focus: though a couple of tracks showcase Chesnutt's talent for broken-spirited ruminations on personal failures, elsewhere he and Lambchop attempt everything from '60s pop and R&B to artsy atmospheric folk. The oddest track is the pulsating "Old Hotel," a tune built around a spacy groove reminiscent of Stereolab that features Chesnutt delivering lyrics in an insidious whisper. Not unlikable, just bizarre.

-- Damon Smith