For Now

David Lewis waited five years to follow up 1996's much-praised No Straight Line with For Now. Like the former, John Wesley Harding lends a hand by playing guitar and adding harmony. While acoustic instruments infused the earlier album, Lewis takes a more eclectic route this time around. A number of tracks -- "You Don't Have to Lose" and "Almost a Stranger" -- feature little more than guitar and background organ. Others -- like "Ramadan Moon" and "The Rain Stops Everything" -- utilize full band arrangements. While both styles work well, it is a bit jarring when a noisier track follows a quieter one (though this can be overcome by programming the track sequence differently). Lewis' pleasing vocals remind one of Al Stewart, which makes it appropriate that Stewart joins him for some fine harmony on "You Don't Know." Mandolin and accordion player Robert Lloyd adds a number of nice flourishes, while Chuck Prophet throws in a bit of energetic electric guitar. Perhaps the most effective track on the album is "Let the Sunlight Dry Your Tears," a lovely song that uses a fuller arrangement without electric instruments. The big sound, with Spanish guitar and trumpet, offers atmosphere to spare, much like the acoustic folk-rock of late-'60s groups like Pentangle. A listener also wouldn't want to miss a good version of Nick Drake's "Northern Sky." For Now finds Lewis growing into new forms, offering fans a broader brand of folk than his first outing. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.