Nobody’s ever going to accuse Chris Hillman of straining himself. This LP’s laziness runs clear down to the sequencing, where “Treasure of Love” is immediately followed by “Ashes of Love” as if everyone involved shared a common understanding that these songs were all mostly interchangeable. Still, bracket the consciousness of Hillman’s cruel, putrid rightwing politics and the album itself envelops you in bland, comfortable warmth, with “Somebody’s Back in Town” cozily recalling early-70s Burrito Bros and the aforementioned “Ashes,” covering a staple most popularized by Buck Owens, setting the stage for Hillman’s unexpected return to the (country) charts soon thereafter, re-recorded by his Desert Rose Band, some of whom appear here. Clearly the man runs in circles, or at least slowly strolls in circles, but he’s at his best when he doesn’t sound thirsty, and he’s rarely been more sedately sated.
