"Lonesome Bound" is a classic break-up album, cut from the same cloth as"Blood on the Tracks" and Beck's"Sea Change." Its moods range from despair and melancholy to redemption and gratitude as it journeys lyrically from the loneliness and rejection of its title song to the collective consciousness of its closer,"URA Satellite." Although the record feels musically cohesive - thanks to the tight production of Steve Combs - its styles are all over the musical map: a field holler ("Man From the Bottom") gets things started before veering into world rhythms and chord structures on the record's second track ("Filling In"). Interspersed throughout the record are singer/songwriter style ballads, as well as ventures into country, jazz, rockabilly, and bluegrass, before ending solidly in Hendrixian rock territory. All of this, of course, would fall flat without the contributions of excellent musicians, and the JakeLeg Shakers have got a few. The core of the group is comprised of Steve Combs bringing consistency and an impeccable sense of taste on upright and electric bass, Todd Lammers lending a rangy plethora of rhythmic drum styles, and Travis Stevens contributing the songwriting, vocals, and guitar work. But it's the auxiliary players who really shine on this recording. J. D. Hortel takes a few passes on Dobro, some rousing ("Lonesome Bound"), some heartfelt and delicate ("My Dark Days). Jason and Sara Thomas bring jazzy horn solos ("Faded Photos") and flute coloring ("She's Funny"), respectively. Josh Franklin's yeoman-like work on accordion, piano, and organ can be heard throughout the 11 tracks. Nicole Jenney offers a nice vocal contrast in her well-placed harmonic choices on prime cuts. In all, fourteen musicians were involved in the recording of this album, and the camaraderie and collaboration result in a record that feels like it was made by a community rather than the bland session-work musicianship so commonplace in today's recording world. But it's Stevens who brings these songs to life here - after all, they belong to him. Listening to the album from start to finish, you get the flavor of a conservative guitar player (a stark contrast to the more common egotistical show-off stereotype in modern music) who is constantly holding back, preferring to let others take the spotlight musically. All of that changes in the album's last track,"URA Satellite" where Stevens lets loose with a torrent of lead guitar - you feel like he's been holding back every emotion in every song, finally letting it all spill over in a facewash of feedback and spitfire notes. And it's this final pay-off that makes the journey so worthwhile.