Spencer Cullums Coin Collection 2

Pedal steel guitarists tend to be the mad scientists of roots music, stationed at the back of the stage as they fiddle over a complicated instrument few know how to wrangle. The mere fact Spencer Cullum has stepped forward as a solo artist sets him apart from the average Nashville pedal steel player (as does the fact he was born in England), and that hes delivered music that falls so far out of the boundaries of country music makes it all the more impressive. Cullums first solo effort, 2021s Spencer Cullums Coin Collection, was a charming and engaging blend of British folk, psychedelic pop, and the user-friendly side of prog rock, and 2023s Spencer Cullums Coin Collection 2 follows a similar path. The whimsical side of mid-60s British pop takes a bigger part of the stage this time out, and the mix of vocals is richer, with Cullums slightly foggy British accent burnished by female accompaniment from Caitlin Rose, Erin Rae, and Annie Williams, as well as some Japanese-language interjections from Yuma Abe. Cullum has chosen his collaborators wisely, and the jazzy clarinet on "Out of Focus," the Mike Oldfield-esque guitars and keys on "The Three Magnets," and the tape-loop keyboards that appear throughout bring out the best in Cullums playfully sophisticated melodies and entertainingly impressionistic lyrics. If anything is in short supply here, its Cullum actually playing the steel (though it does bob in and out on "Kingdom Weather," which also includes some of the best Richard Thompson-style electric guitar not played by Mr. Thompson himself), but if the purpose of this album was to give him a chance to show off the talents he doesnt get to use in his day job, then that certainly makes sense, and what he does deliver is thoroughly satisfying from first track to last. Its good that Miranda Lambert keeps Cullum gainfully employed playing pedal steel with her road band, but Spencer Cullums Coin Collection 2 shows theres a one-of-a-kind talent lurking in the backline who deserves and demands a place in the spotlight. ~ Mark Deming