Dwight Yoakam is the Baskin-Robbins of heartbreak, turning out more variations on classic lovelorn themes than anyone might have thought possible. As he's done dependably since the mid-1980s, the man who put New Traditionalism on the country music map brings the Buck Owens/Merle Haggard sound into the present, with occasional rock and blues touches. Yoakam reaches even further back on the mournful ballad "Lucky That Way", building on a classic Hank Williams-style template. But he can be unpredictable as well; the anomalous intro to "She'll Remember", awash in synthesizer and jokey British accent, could have slipped off a Blur album, and the wide-screen strings-and-tympani drama of "The Last Heart in Line" finds Yoakam dipping into Roy Orbison territory. In lesser hands, the catalogue of emotional train wrecks that is BLAME THE VAIN might come off monochromatic, but with a master craftsman like Yoakam, the endless stream of subtleties in his multi-hued view of failed romance are consistently involving.

Jun 2005

'Blame The Vain' mines much the same honky-tonkin' territory that we've always loved him for and 'Does It Show' is one of several fresh examples of Dwight tunes that feel as though they must be covers from the '50s. But Yoakam's always had an ear for the sonic surprise that pulls him clear of other revivalists. This time it's in the entirely unexpected 'She'll Remember' with its synth intro and English-accent voiceover, and in the clued-up lyrics of 'hree Good Reasons'and 'Intentional Heartache'.

'When I First Came Here' delves into modern country-rock territory, with strong guitar and piano features, while the axiom that artists put their best songs at the front end of an album - in case we've snoozed off or tuned out by the end - is trashed by closing track 'The Last Heart In Line'. This is the absolute killer of the set, a lovelorn ballad that begins with acoustic guitar and builds into something lush and elegant with a well-positioned string section.

"Dwight's back with an album as striking. Involving and satisfying as any he has made...a sleeping giant awakens" - 5***** Country Music People

• Mojo (p.114) - 3 stars out of 5 - "The same amalgam of pure country, rockabilly and Southern rock allied to a hint of British invasion influences are evident, while a few nods to past heroes are provided."
  
  Uncut (p.99) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]here's an edge that's been absent in recent years."

Personnel include: Dwight Yoakam (vocals, acoustic guitar); Gerry McGee (acoustic guitar); Keith Gattis (electric guitar); Skip Edwards (pedal steel guitar, piano, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond b-3 organ); Phillip Vaiman (violin); Thomas Diener (viola); Eric Gaenslen (cello); Jessica Bolter (oboe); Lee Thornburg (French horn); Taras Prodaniuk (bass instrument); Mitch Marine (drums); Bobbye Hall (percussion); Jonathan Clark, Timothy B. Schmit, Dave Roe (background vocals).
Dwight Yoakam is the Baskin-Robbins of heartbreak, turning out more variations on classic lovelorn themes than anyone might have thought possible. As he's done dependably since the mid-1980s, the man who put New Traditionalism on the country music map brings the Buck Owens/Merle Haggard sound into the present, with occasional rock and blues touches. Yoakam reaches even further back on the mournful ballad "Lucky That Way," building on a classic Hank Williams-style template. But he can be unpredictable as well; the anomalous intro to "She'll Remember," awash in synthesizer and jokey British accent, could have slipped off a Blur album, and the wide-screen strings-and-tympani drama of "The Last Heart in Line" finds Yoakam dipping into Roy Orbison territory. In lesser hands, the catalogue of emotional train wrecks that is BLAME THE VAIN might come off monochromatic, but with a master craftsman like Yoakam, the endless stream of subtleties in his multi-hued view of failed romance are consistently involving.

In the mid-'80s the Nashville scene was at a low point until Dwight Yoakam helped usher in a new wave of country that was both traditionalist and progressive. Yoakam's allegiance to the classic Bakersfield sound of the '60s (Buck Owens, Merle Haggard) as well as his use of rockabilly and soul won him a wide audience. His good looks and dramatic persona also earned him an acting career, and he had major roles in numerous high-profile films, including PANIC ROOM and SLING BLADE.