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Peace, Love and Anarchy (Rarities, B-sides and Demos, Vol. 1)-Todd Snider

Demos is right. Many of these tracks from Nashville-based, Memphis-connected songwriter Snider are barely recorded solo-acoustic takes. Those expecting the same quality level — musically and songwriting-wise — of Snider’s two recent, brilliant rebirth albums, East Nashville Skyline and The Devil You Know, will be disappointed. But those merely on the search for more good songs will find a few here. There’s one cover (Jerry Jeff Walker) and a few collaborations (two songs co-written with Jack Ingram). The Hank Williams-referencing “Combover Blues” earns a good chuckle, but best of all are a few songs that seem to be leftovers from East Nashville Skyline that deepen that record’s geographically specific concept. (“Combover Blues,” “East Nashville Skyline,” “From a Rooftop”) — CH

Grade: A-