The 11 tunes on Rob Waddell’s third solo disc are sure to be a treat for fans of well arranged folk music and literate lyrics. Rife with reflections on the rural life that Waddell grew up with just off Highway 5 in western Manitoba, Rob’s stories are well constructed and beautifully delivered, as though his particular lyrical homestead were located somewhere between John K Samson’s and Fred J Eaglesmith’s. Indeed, the album closer “More Than You Bargained For (the auction sale)” is at once the byproduct of breeding the Weakerthans’ “Everything Must Go” with Eaglesmith’s “Thirty Years of Farming,” and something that only Waddell, the son of an auctioneer, could have come up with. While the album is solid from start to finish, personal favourites (at present) include “Mary Graham (nee McPherson),” “Spare a Dollar,” and the title track. Do yourself a favour, folkies; pick this album up, and make yourself familiar with Rob Waddell. You won’t be sorry. (Independent, robwaddell.com) Sheldon Birnie