HAVING MADE HIS NAME AS A producer, Austin’s Gurf Morlix has finally stepped up to the plate with his solo debut. These eleven originals reflect the music of the artists he’s worked with (Lucinda Williams, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Robert Earl Keen) and the influence of his Southern California cronies Dave Alvin, Jim Lauderdale, and Dwight Yoakam. “Wild Things” jump-starts the proceedings, a rollicking country blues number with guest vocals by Buddy Miller that segues into the swaggering boogie of “You Don’t Know Me.” “Robin Sings at Midnight” is wonderful trashcan bluegrass; Morlix harmonizes with himself and juggles a handful of instruments (banjo, jug, mandocello). He’s in fine form on guitar but meets his match in Ian McLagan, whose Hammond B3 stylings glue the whole lot together. And the album winds down to a graceful end with “Fallin’ Off the Face of the World,” an acoustic ballad of love lost that brings everything to a quiet close. As he did when working with other artists, Morlix avoids the temptation to overproduce, making Toad of Titicaca a solid set that gets better with every listen. by Luann Williams
