Losin' Lately Gambler

iTunes Review

On Losin’ Lately Gambler, Corb Lund's first U.S. release, the Alberta-based singer/songwriter looks at his native region with wry affection, downplaying his earlier dalliances with punk rock in favor of emphasizing his cowboy heritage. You can hear both a laconic drawl and a hint of punk brashness in his vocals, which adds to the charm of his detail-rich lyrics. In the spirit of legendary singer-rancher Ian Tyson, Lund puts a lot of local color into his songs — tunes like “Chinook Wind,” “Long Gone to Saskatchewan” and “This Is My Prairie” are informed with the joys and tribulations of Western Canadian life. Lund switches easily between the feisty rockabilly of “Steer Rider’s Blues,” the romantic Latin atmosphere of “Devil’s Best Dress,” and the genial hard country of “It’s Hard to Keep a White Shirt Clean.” Of special note are “Horse Doctor, Come Quick” and “Talkin’ Veterinarian Blues,” tunes informed by Lund’s family background in veterinary medicine. Losin’ Lately Gambler is smart, playful and unaffected, an engaging country album by a true son of the Great Northern West.