Less Of An Apology is the debut solo album by Bobby Harlow who was in The Go and Conspiracy Of Owls, but is also known for his production work with Samantha Fish, Jack White and Mary Timony among others. The album was recorded live to 8-track tape with no overdubs or fancy editing.
The album opens with Old Friends sharing some red wine and looking back at good and bad adventures, that left Bobby a bit of a mess, but over the strummed acoustic he works his way through all the deprivation and finds himself the perpetual outsider getting high to get by.
Don't Play With My Heart is an organ led plea for both love and a bit of forgiveness, while the electric guitar flies off to open up your heart to him, this has a burnished southern blue eyed soul feel, if you won't give in to him, by the time he has finished all his begging and pleading you have a heart of stone.
Oh This is a country bluegrass soul barer, for a heartsick lover, whose lost the one thing he really treasured, his love for you and you countrypolitan ways, the falsetto parts are rather effective set against the lap steel.
Just As You Are is a plea for you not to change and just be you and he will love you Just As You Are, he's no control freak, but he wants you so bad he's willing to turn into Nilsson if he has too, if that's the right way to reach out to you.
Road To Sorrow his love has come to an end, he'll soon be out the door once more, while he reflects on how great things once were, while sounding like an early 1970's troubadour in the Nick Garrie vein, he'll leave no stone unturned while getting that guitar and organ sound just right. No Stone Unturned keeps the theme of regret going, over honky tonk piano and the sort of backbeat that makes clear you're going, while being asked to recite Shakespeare to her.
Forgive Me opens with a forlorn fiddler pulling at your heartstrings while Bobby explains just how many times and in how many ways he's let you down, if you'll only give him one more chance, he'll prove his is heartbroken like he's the main character in a George Jones song.
Outta Time is a full-on country hoedown chase song, that wouldn't be out of place on The Dukes Of Hazzard while we all sing and chant along to the chorus, the vocals using an old school valve radio microphone from the sound of it, while sounding like it would get properly speedy live, trying to give CW McCall a gospel-tinged run for his money.
The album closes with Have Faith which is easier said than done, but the heartfelt balladeering vocals, with choir of angels backing vocals, might help you to Have Faith that this world might end up being a good place after all, despite all the evidence to the contrary, so seek out the miracles and you should survive to a ripe old age.
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