Dust On My Shoes

For this, his third solo CD, Mick Thomas continues with his band, the Sure Thing, and together they provide the world with this brilliant work. Clearly, this is by far his best album so far. Here, he revisits the glory days of Weddings, Parties, Anything while maintaining the styles he developed on his own. It all points to the fact that he is truly a gifted and sensitive storyteller/writer. Although the Sure Thing backed him on his 1999 CD, Dead Set Certainty, the lineup changed for this album. Here, Mick Thomas and guitarist Darren Hanlon are joined by former Weddings, Parties, Anything drummer Michael Barclay, and the results are stunning. The band is tight (although there are several guests throughout, including another former Weddings, Parties, Anything member, Mark Wallace) and Thomas finds his voice once again. The lyric book is written in chapters, grouping songs together in order to tell a story. This is not a concept album per se, but rather a collection of short stories outlining the vulnerability and failings of the human race. On this CD one actually feels sympathy for "The Lonely Goth" in the small town, while empathizing with his struggling parents. This is due to Thomas' ability to create a story with music and lyrics. The CD is full of stories of people who try and fail (listen to the last song, "No Picnic," for an autobiographical glimpse into Thomas' world), of love lost, and of love that should have been but was not. It is an incredibly moving album. The music is a cross between folk and country, with a little Celtic rock & roll tossed into the mix. The various genres blend together to create a unique mixture that must be heard in order to be truly understood. This is a brilliant album that yearns to be taken out, played, and enjoyed again and again.