The shoddy cover art suggests that, after three great albums, Al Stewart was losing focus. 24 Carrots? I know it's a joke, but is anybody laughing? Sonically, this album is similar to Stewart's previous releases, but the songs don't fit together well. There's no common thread. "Murmansk Run/Ellis Island," one of Stewart's best historical narratives, is the highlight, but the rest is lacking. The goofy "Mondo Sinistro" still makes me wince. "Midnight Rocks" is pleasant enough, but unlike most of Stewart's other hits, it lacks depth. It's extremely repetitive and the lyrics have nothing to offer beyond vague cliches about romance. The first song, "Running Man," is the perfect indicator of what's to come. The man in the song is running, but he has nowhere to go--the perfect metaphor for Stewart's songwriting here. If you're interested in Al Stewart, "24 Carrots" is not the place to start.