If you ever think you've had a bad day, be glad you're not Loudon. He wasn't a happy guy to begin with (and even before September 11), and his life has been infused with much sorrow and regret. Both his beloved (and much sung about)parents have died in the last few years, burdening him so much extra pain that he almost gave up song-writing. But not to worry, dear Loudon listener, because once again, his pain is our gain --- as he pours out all his emotion into tightly written, restrained odes to rememberance and survival. Amazingly, he writes repeatedly about death without ever becoming maudlin or sentimental, yet he's intensely moving nonetheless. Also, this album wisely stays away from cute novelty songs and overblown arrangements that all too often bog down Loudon albums. Only downside is his lyric that he doesn't care "which idiot runs this country." As current events have proven, some idiots are far more idiotic (and dangerous)than others.