Gary Jules

Unlike most albums that reserve their brightest moments for the first handful of tracks, San Diego singer-songwriter Gary Jules has no need to worry about track placement on Trading Snake Oil For Wolftickets. The final track (aside from a hidden single) features the recent number one U.K. single “Mad World,” a subdued version of the 1982 Tears For Fears synth-rock hit. Working with longtime friend Michael Andrews, Jules' second album is rich on prevailing thoughts of faith, love and hope, while equally full in tune.

The obvious folk influences are hard to miss in Jules’ work as the mystique of Cat Stevens beckons during the introspective “Broke Window.” Within “No Poetry,” Jules sings in fragile Nick Drake fashion, “there’s not poetry between us, says the paper to the pen.” The upbeat rocker “DTLA” churns with a vocal gallop that beckons of Crosby Stills &Nash. Meanwhile the rainy day reflection of “Umbilical Town” is a parallel knock of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright.”

Aside from the folk standards, Jules’ welcoming voice finds its own calling in “Something Else,” which features some neatly placed female vocals. A cozy mandolin harmony in, ”Princess of Hollywood Way” brings some well-arranged diversity, while “Patchwork G” allows Jules’ welcoming voice to shine within its county twang backdrop. Toying from the past and fine tuning with the present, Jules makes Trading Snakeoil For Wolftickets, an all-around winning work of songwriting and arranging that should not be missed.