Lonesome songs strike a story

Buffalo Tom frontman Bill Janovitz has admitted his writing often revolves around themes of difference and alienation. Heck, he titled his basement recording area Lonesome Studio.\nNow Billy-blue is back with a second solo album. Always musically distinct from his other projects, Janovitz's solo work always takes "solo" to heart. Less overtly countrified than Lonesome Billy, Up Here mixes folk and quasi-country melancholia with a singer-songwriter's touch; one that had always been somewhat obscured by the rock guitar base of his better known band efforts. \nBut the loneliness, separation and sadness are never far away, as Janovitz realizes most potently over his "White Castle hamburgers and a scotch" on Up Here's "Your Stranger's Face." Even in the jangly "Best Kept Secret," as he reminisces and dreams of venturing west, he cannot shake the feeling that he's lost his chance. \nNonetheless, through these acoustic introspections lies a silvery lining of hope and positivity. "Like You Do," an ode to forever love, is a song Janovitz penned for a wedding. \nIt's evident Janovitz's life experiences have enabled him to continue creating meaningful songs. Most importantly, what he continues to write are not just songs, they are stories -- glimpses of the man in his complexity. And if this is sometimes lonesome, then so be it.