Following A Different Story, last year’s self-released comeback after an extended absence, The Show Is on the Road represents Paleface’s continued progress on the road to recovery. Once one of the prime movers in New York’s fabled Anti-folk scene, his journey hasn’t been easy; a decade ago, he collapsed and nearly died after being stricken by an onslaught of alcohol abuse, pneumonia and hepatitis. Those problems now well behind him, he opts for a rambling, ramshackle approach that’s both unhinged and unembellished, eschewing more sophisticated arrangements for a low-key, down home sound. The title track starts things off on a note of upbeat optimism, and as the album saunters on, songs such as “Try to Hold Your Own,” “Holy Holy” and “Pondering the Night Sky” maintain that jaunty lilt established early on. Yet, despite the nonchalant atmosphere and the DIY aesthetic, nods to the past are inevitable. “New York, New York” bids a wistful farewell to Manhattan, where he once resided before heading to a new life in North Carolina, while “Raise the Glass” offers salutations to past excess. No matter though; with the show on the road, Paleface procures a rollicking return.
