Shane Faubert – San Blass (1993)

With Faubert's second solo album, even vestiges of the pop-rock revivalism of his early career have largely faded away. In the 1990s, he's become more of a folk-rocker with an indie pop sensibility, and started to open his lyrical canvas beyond the habitual earnest love odes. On much of this disc, there's a surprising British/Celtic folk tinge, which hits you up front on the opening "I'm Alright," with its accordion and what sounds like plucked mandolin. The mood is for the most part more laidback and acoustic than his earlier work, yet the melodic hooks aren't as strong as they were on Kalkara. The wistfulness that's always been a touchstone of his writing takes on a nostalgic and subdued air on cuts like "Remember Changes." "It can never be the same," he laments on "Hold Me Close," one of several junctures where there's a tangible sense of loss and regret. Songs like "Edgewise" get into a rustic rootsy vibe, something he doesn't wear as well as his pure pop instincts.~Richie Unterberger