Skins

Buffalo Tom has always been an unassuming band with great talents. Singer Bill Janovitz, with his solo work and with Buffalo Tom, has proven to be one of the music’s best kept secrets. What the group’s cult has always enjoyed is accessible to everyone. “She’s Not Your Thing” is classic rock by sound and alternative rock by name, since the band emerged between 1989-1998 when that was what music with distorted guitars and ‘60s-pop like melodies got called. There’s no reason for fans of Elvis Costello, Squeeze and R.E.M not be to completely charmed by the unpretentious tunes found here in abundance. “Down” sounds like a great interior monologue. “Don’t Forget Me” and “Paper Knife” are the kind of Paul Westerberg ballads that always won over serious hearts. “Miss Barren Brooks” adds an electric piano tune to the mix. “Guilty Girls,” “Here I Come” and “Lost Weekend” are Midwestern rockers, while “Out of the Dark” is an organ-driven piece of dramatic songplay that’s as close to the arena as these clubland boys are likely to get, through no fault of their own.