*** Chris Smither

DRIVE YOU HOME AGAIN

(Hightone)

Over the years Smither has recalibrated his original blues feel, fitting it snugly into a singer/songwriter esthetic. His last few Hightone discs have assessed the existential questions that boggle most minds, and the plain-toned poetry of his answers has earned him the highest visibility of his career. Arrangements gives the singer's ninth record in 29 years its sometimes poignant, sometimes grim demeanor. A full band interpret most pieces, adhering to specifics of mood. The soprano sax on "Hold On," the shadowy harp on the title cut, the rhythmic whomp on Danny O'Keefe's "Steel Guitar," the distant brass band on "No Love Today" -- this is an album full of small touches.

But Smither is known to guitar zealots as a very hip picker, too. He can put his hands on a whole Crayola box of melancholy hues with just a six-string. Factor in his withered voice and you've got an expert at anguish. Regrets, goodbyes, and how-comes all dot the album. So much so that it takes the romping of "Duncan and Brady" to balance the gloom of Eric Von Schmidt's "Rattlesnake Preacher." Fortunately, Smither is convincing with both.

-- Jim Macnie