Big Shot In the Dark

On their fourth album, Timbuk 3 officially became a foursome. The addition of bassist Courtney Audain and drummer Wally Ingram shook up the Austin-based band's dynamic, but this proved a mixed blessing: On the one hand, the new players seem to have freed up co-frontman Pat MacDonald to concentrate on exploring new guitar textures and beefing up his harmonica work, and there's a newfound sense of instrumental adventurousness all around ("'49 Plymouth" employs a lute, while an instrumental version of "Sunshine" is played on steel drums). But the songs themselves aren't quite as strong as those from the band's previous efforts. MacDonald's lyrics are still clever, but for the first time they also come across as slightly precious, as on "Two Medicines." Still, the high points were as high as ever; "Sunshine" and "Dis***land (Was Made for You & Me)" rank among the most richly creative pieces in the band's repertoire. Big Shot in the Dark has a bluesy, droning quality throughout, a vibe that would be amplified further on Timbuk 3's 1994 EP Looks Like Dark to Me.