Crooked Fingers — Dignity And Shame

Former Archers Of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann orchestrates a hook-filled third album as Crooked Fingers — now a true full-band effort giving Dignity And Shame its lush Americana pop. Bachmann's affinity for Neil Diamond and Bruce Springsteen are still as strong as ever thanks to his hearty tenor, though now there's a new dynamic — Ben Lee/Luna collaborator Lara Meyerratken joins Bachmann on several tunes for some boy-girl duets like power-pop nugget "Call To Love," which is equivalent to Human League’s "Don’t You Want Me" for hipster ex-lovers. With shameless love for Neil and Bruce (and possibly Human League), Dignity And Shame accomplishes the cool un-cool album that's tremendously melodic in its unflinching heartbreak melodrama.

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