December 15, 2006 - Fans of ABC's Grey's Anatomy are already familiar with the laid back rustic folk of singer-songwriter Joe Purdy. He is an artist on the fringe, with music all over the background of the medical drama, and having toured with Dave Matthews Band and Blues Traveler. His inconsistent fifth album, of brilliantly inspired heartache and slow-burn folk passion intermixed with overly repetitive sleepers, shows why he remains a relative unknown, but promising, artist.

This album marks Purdy's first turn with a full band, which provides a more flushed out sound. All the same, the intimacy remains. Acoustic guitars, mandolin, and harmonica reign supreme on the dusty folk album. Whether the hard stomping southern folk-rock of "Cinderella And A Train" or the ragged soul-baring "Why Do I", about the comfort of strangers in a bar, Purdy and band weave comforting yarns that wrap themselves around listeners. Even the bittersweet tale of betrayal, brilliant mid-tempo folk ballad "Look At You Now", is handled with warmth and compassion that makes the cheating tale stick despite the bland chorus. Purdy more than makes up for the weak hook with biting lines like, "I wish you the best in your new royal dress, and I wish that he would die / I guess you don't mind that he's got a wife and a mistress already in place" and "I screamed at your letter for half of an hour / Screamed till my throat was sore / I lost my voice, but honey you lost your choice / Don't ever come knock on my door".

Front loaded with goodies, the order of the tracks on the album is an issue that holds the album back some. The most infectious comes first, as "The City" quickly chugs its way into your head and burrows itself deep with earnest lyrics and haunting blend of acoustic guitar and echoing beat. A soft midsection of the album, with juvenile overly-rhyme focused "Andrea" and repetitive "Why You", derails the momentum Purdy builds up over the first several tracks by slamming all the filler together. The glimmer of hope found on "Come Back Down Joe", about being talked off a ledge, would have been a solid end for the album both because of the uplifting tone and how clumsy the real final track is. Slow motion "Falling Down" is a deliberate and plodding piano-based ballad, about life spiraling out of control after a break-up, ending the album on a rather depressing note.

Only Four Seasons is a mixed bag, showing both the promise and inconsistency of Joe Purdy; one moment he's rattling off brilliantly pleasing folk storytelling, then monotonous sleepers the next. There is a great album in Purdy, and while this is not it, the flashes of greatness will keep you coming back.

Definitely Download:
1. "The City"
2. "Look At You Now"
3. "Cinderella And A Train"
4. "Come Back Down Joe"