Saskatoon-based B.C. Read's third outing is a mixed but generous collection.  Read wrote or co-wrote all fifteen tracks here, and while results are occasionally uneven, there are some great musical moments indeed.

Things kick off with the big, brassy "Once In A While," a slice of greasy R&B in the Southside Johnny vein, followed by "A Blues Man Has Got To Wear A Hat," a novelty song that works thanks to Read's raspy, tongue-in-cheek delivery and friend/guest Big Dave McLean's harmonica.  "Loves Rule Prelude / Loves Rule" opens with the former's gospel harmonies before slipping into a good-natured shuffle, simple and sweet.   So far so good ...

"Prove That You Love Me" won't be to all tastes - a duet with Sharon Matheson, it has a bit of an eighties feel to it thanks to Sheldon Corbett's smoky sax, and again Read doesn't quite rise to the tune's vocal challenges.   And "Louisiana Dream," with its rolling snare and accordion courtesy of Corbett (who provided the disc's top-notch horn arrangements), starts off with promise but doesn't seem to get anywhere. 

But from there it's fun all the way to the finish; "Get Yourself A Garbage Man,' with a slightly  off-kilter time signature, is all swagger and strut, while "Highway Shoes" is powerfully poignant thanks to Read's straightforward and unaffected delivery.   "So Glad" is a bouncy, heartfelt love song, its sunny disposition utterly irresistible; "Raining And Pouring" is as moody and melancholic as its title suggests, with a beautifully layered horn arrangement; "Why Do Girls Do That" is all slippery funk, and "Hiding Place" is another jaunty tune with Brent Longstaff's tuba taking the bass part.  Proceedings close with the swinging shuffle of the title track.

Read varies instrumentation according to the demands of the song and shows a sure hand with arrangements.  He's also a  strong songwriter whose tunes sound fresh even when based on familiar forms.  A couple of the tracks here could be culled in the interests of ‘strengthening the herd,' so to speak, but overall this is a fine outing by a talented and interesting artist.