Reservoir Songs

Eric Bachman's alter ego, Crooked Fingers, released this album of cover songs in the spring of 2002. From the beginning, Bachman soulfully makes Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down" his own on the opening track. There's a folky feel on the second track, "Solitary Man." The most impressive song might be "When You Were Mine," led by Robert Lloyd Martin's banjo, Wade Rittenberry's bass, and Bachman's restrained vocal attack. The disc concludes with the band's versions of Bruce Springsteen's "The River" and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," which is easily the collection's liveliest track. Bachman seems to make each track his own. Reservoir Songs was recorded in Atlanta in January 2002. Evan Thomas performs on drums, while guest musicians Alex McManus, Andrej Curty, and Eunice Kang perform on euphonium, violin, and cello respectively. With this disc, Bachman continued to distance himself from his previous work in the influential indie rock band Archers of Loaf. ~ Stephen Cramer