Singer/songwriter Plankenhorn recently moved from Austin to Vancouver Island, and besides penning two numbers himself, he co-wrote seven with Austinites Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Gabriel Rhodes, and Michael O’Connor.

“Maybe It’s Not Too Late” is a Hooker-style boogie sounding more than a little like C.C. Adcock. Surprisingly, it’s the only song featuring his “Plank” electric guitar; neither Dobro nor lap-steel, it was designed by the artist. However, he does play tasty acoustic slide on an Oahu Hawaiian guitar on a few cuts, including the title tune. He also takes a single-note acoustic solo over the New Orleans strut of “Do A Little Dancing,” and adds Latin-tinged licks to “The Mess,” which falls somewhere between Tom Waits and Randy Newman.

Producer Colin Linden, known for taking on similar duties with Bruce Cockburn, provides electric six-string throughout, including soulful slide on “Keep Me On Your Mind,” which he co-wrote with Plankenhorn. His jangly arpeggios and reverby bends highlight the ballad “Bluer Skies.”

Plankenhorn deserves a more-descriptive category than alt-country, folk, or Americana that are typically applied to his rootsy mix that also embraces blues and pop. As with his previous seven albums, he expertly dodges such pigeonholes.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.