GARY SHIEBLER: Isn’t Love Something?

Gary Shiebler’s local connections go back to the Dorados, with the late Larry Robinson. He played with the country-oriented Thursday Night Fishing Club and has released solo projects, including 2016’s Depressing Coffee House Songs. That album showed a move away from country toward personal ballads, while keeping some of Shiebler’s storytelling and sharp lyrics intact. His new one, Isn’t Love Something?, seems to pick up where Coffee House Songs left off–both share the smooth Nashville production (Shiebler credits ex-San Diegan Dave Curtis, formerly bassist with AJ Croce).

The dozen songs include a couple of covers, and several that carry over from the Thursday Night days. Shiebler has a commanding vocal presence, as always, and the songs seem to have a positive spin, with love and fulfillment frequent topics–carrying the hopefulness of songs (like “At the Same Time” and “A Place to Ride”) from the last record a step further. The title tune introduces Shiebler and his ability to weave a story; two would-be lovers meet at the train station, “Maybe all that matters is that those trains ran late.” The songs throughout feature lovely acoustic guitars, soaring backing vocals, a full palette that never seems thin or overdone.

Pouring on the metaphors, “You Can’t Find Me” expresses that he is an electric man made of tubes and wires, needing to unplug and get away for a couple of days; he wants a solitary hideout from the “things you don’t need.” Shiebler is an author and animal rescuer, “Favorite New Thing” is about watching his dogs run in the yard–with keyboard horns injecting some quirkiness. The first cover is “Love Song,” which most listeners will remember as an old Elton John album track; the highlight is made special by beautiful harmonies and shimmering steel guitar and keyboards.

“When Cars Had Faces” dates from the Thursday Night days, and it picks up the beat with a story of the days gone by, when small town folks could do okay if they worked hard. For a cover of “The Middle,” written by Jimmy Eat World, Shiebler steps out of the box with vocal help from Presley Tucker, daughter of Tanya, and instruments like ukuleles and high-floating keys. On his last album, Shiebler had some Springsteen moments with anthemic arrangements. He does it again here with “Trusted Man,” another highlight that stands out with its electric backbone and story sketch about blue collar heroes–one fixes tires, “Look you in the eye, gladly reach out his hand/ Such are the ways of a trusted man.”

“No Good Reason” differs from the other material, it is an acoustic blues-rock shuffle that shows another side of Shiebler, complete with a slide guitar solo, a blast that clicks. His efforts to shut down a horse slaughter trader in Tennessee are the inspiration for “I Will Fight For You,” which has appeared on earlier efforts–with good reason; the heartfelt and memorable ballad wraps the set with a hook and a message. Gary Shiebler’s latest effort is another strong showing that does not disappoint.