Indeed, his efforts paid off. Brandishing an easy and accessible folk-rock sound, Baker traces echoes of Gordon Lightfoot, Jackson Browne, Tom Rush, and any number of other tenured balladeers whose narratives found a universal bond. Not surprisingly then, the album’s flush with soothing melodies — the title track, “Misinterpreting the Angels,” “Wipe the Dust Off Your Bellows,” and “Returning to Paris,” among the many — and melodies so soothing and stirring, they find calm even in the midst of confusion.
At the same time, the message that accompanies the music rings with reassurance and resolve, stocked with emotions that strike a universal chord. It’s poetry at its purest — tender, touching and flush with sweetness, sadness and sentiment in equal measure.
— Lee Zimmerman