Humor Risk (Bonus Track Version)

Coming just six months after *Wit’s End*, it’s reasonable to approach *Humor Risk* as a response or companion piece to that prior album. Whatever dark clouds were following Cass McCombs during the creation of *Wit’s End* seem to have partially lifted, leaving him contemplating the power of levity as a self-preservation device. The lyrics, consistently witty and slyly humorous, remain self-referential but also open enough to let listeners relate to his stories of woe. The punchy rockers “Love Thine Enemy,” “Mystery Mail,” and the reverb-soaked “The Same Thing” share bitter life lessons in an upbeat way. But that’s not to say that *Humor Risk* is all sunny and bright. “To Every Man His Chimera” drags its feet like a funeral march, and “Robin Egg Blue” is a delicate, melancholy rumination set against a shimmering backdrop of sound. The final track, the strange and warbled “Mariah,” seems designed to leave listeners guessing; it also shows how good McCombs is at incorporating a wide range of songwriting influences. It’s this balance between light and dark that makes the album so appealing.