This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
It has been more than two decades since folk-rocker Steve Forbert was anointed the “new Dylan” after the hit Romeo’s Tune. Sadly, it’s also been almost that long since his commercial prospects peaked.
But even though he’s been off the pop culture radar, the other Little Stevie hasn’t been idle. A resident of Nashville since the ’80s, he’s been quietly plugging away, releasing new albums and evolving into a Great American Songwriter. Provided, of course, your idea of a Great American Songwriter, like mine, includes old Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Alex Chilton or Paul Westerberg. Forbert’s latest, the roots-poppy Evergreen Boy, is filled with echoes of them all, from the rough-hewn, unvarnished simplicity of his arrangements to the wistful, witty introspection of his lyrics and even the off-the-cuff immediacy of its sound (it was produced, not surprisingly, by Jim Dickinson, who has worked with both Chilton and Westerberg). Forbert’s career may be a bit more low-key than it used to be, but it’s nice to see his creativity is still going strong.
