Review: Relaxed, charming vibe from duo Wild Rabbit Salad

Wild Rabbit Salad, 'œTrouble in Town'ť (REGI Music)

It's no surprise that for Wild Rabbit Salad, the ingredients are a bit quirky.

'œTrouble in Town'ť includes a cheating song with a cello solo, a happy-hour lament, a tale of haberdashery, two Townes Van Zandt covers and a reference to him elsewhere.

It's as good as it sounds.

Houston-based Bucky Goldberg and Marietta Roebuck, a duo professionally and personally, bring to their fourth album a relaxed, charming vibe. Pitch and tempo aren't always steady, but their approach fits the subject matter.

Both have striking voices. Goldberg recalls Howe Gelb's dry drawl on the wonderful opener 'œDrop Top Cadillac,'ť a tale of loneliness and lessons learned, and he makes like Bruce Springsteen on the title cut. The classically trained Roebuck sings beautifully on Van Zandt's ballad 'œTecumseh Valley,'ť and rocks out on trading verses with Goldberg on breakup tune 'œFour Days Sober.'ť

The couple also sing about a devastating flood, a mining accident, the hobo life and crossing over to the other side. It's a set unlikely to duplicate anything already on any musical menu.