THE sepia tones of the album artwork suggest a nostalgic, old-fashioned piece of work, with a craftsman's attention to detail.
The Virginia Creeper title reflects Phillips's predilection for songs with the character of a "slow but persistent vine, ever weaving, ever climbing, like a melody".
Sure enough, this is an album of twisting, personal, story songs, sung with delicate, seductive warmth by Phillips to an acoustic accompaniment of guitars, piano, fiddle, banjo and drums. Where 2001's Mobilize was a wholly solo release after Phillips bid farewell to his Grant Lee Buffalo years, Virginia Creeper welcomes elegant country-rock from Soul Coughing's Sebastian Steinberg, ukulele player Jon Brion and The Section Quartet's sweet strings on Far End Of The Night.
Amid tales of tragedy and social injustice, mythology and myriad girl names, Phillips nails new American imperialism too on Calamity Jane, this Virginia Creeper suddenly turning into a nettle.
Updated: 08:36 Thursday, February 26, 2004
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