Todd Snider - 'Excitement Plan'

Todd Snider has, for more than two decades, been one of the best mostly-under-the-radar singer-songwriters in contemporary folk music. His songs have ranged from hilarious, endearing narratives about workaday life to hard-biting protest songs. On his latest album, he tends more toward the former, but one thing is certain. Above all else, Todd Snider is an excellent storyteller, and The Excitement Plan is a tremendous example of this skill.

Humble, Lovesick, and Hoping

Snider's greatest gift is in being exceptionally simple, honest, and direct, both in his lyricism and instrumentation. He's not one of the world's great singers, nor is he one of its finest instrumentalists. Yet somewhere in the stark reality of the stories he tells is a level of poetry and import unreachable by your average singer-songwriter.

Probably the most sonically complicated song on The Excitement Plan comes up two tunes in, with "Greencastle Blues" (purchase/download). Here, Snider seems to be feeling his mortality, or at least telling the story of a character who's grappling with it. He sings, "It hurts to lean back in these handcuffs, like nine kinds of shame turned to rage / as a young man I might've put up a fight but I feel like such a fool at my age." The lyrics move from there to loquacious and back again, hanging on the repeated refrain: "How do you know when it's too late to learn?"

Excitement Plan's Best Songs

Other highlights include the catchy "Bring 'Em Home" (purchase/download), which doesn't seem to be entirely about the war as much as it is a love story with a vague indication of some kind of topical importance. Written from the point of view of a soldier who's ready to come home from war, the tune's chorus is catchy and memorable. "Don't Tempt Me" (purchase/download) is a fun, rollicking tune about infidelity, performed exquisitely between Snider and the inimitable Loretta Lynn. But two songs stand out as the disc clearest shining moments.

First is "America's Favorite Pasttime" (purchase/download), which tells the story of Dock Ellis, who pitched a no-hitter baseball game for the Pittsburgh Pirates under the influence of LSD. Not only is it a compelling, little-discussed true story, but Snider's account is imaginative and provocative, rich in musicality and easy-turning lyricism. And it's catchy.

Then there's "Money, Compliments, and Publicity" (purchase/download), which basically explains why being humble can only really go so far when someone's trying to make a living. There's no shame in seeking a wider audience, a better paycheck, and a little reassurance, Snider contends. And, as the song goes on, it's near impossible to disagree.