Personnel: Bob Schneider (vocals, guitar, trumpet, keyboards, steel drum, programming); Bill Harvey (vocals, guitar, piano); Dwight A. Baker (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion); Conrad Choucroun (vocals, drums); Harmoni Kelley, Amanda Peters, Harmoni Kelley, Patty Griffin (vocals); Daniel Levin (cello); Marcus Cardwell (saxophone); Erik Telford, Oliver Steck (trumpet); Ra£l Vallejo (trombone); Dave Boyle, Dave Boyle (keyboards); J.J. Johnson (drums, percussion); Jos‚ Galea¤o (percussion).

Audio Mixers: Dave McNair; Dwight A. Baker.

Recording information: Matchbox Studios.

Photographer: Brad Bond.

Arranger: Daniel Levin.

Over the course of a decade and a half, singer-songwriter Bob Schneider developed a small but loyal following with a distinctly adult brand of mildly rootsy modern pop/rock that was consistently well-crafted and musically varied. His 2009 album LOVELY CREATURES highlighted his pleasing, subtle vocal approach and smart compositional skills on songs such as the rapid-fire, Beck-meets-Train-like "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)" and the Latin-tinged lounge workout "Slower Dear." At times recalling a mellower, less wordy Elvis Costello, a more musically ambitious Duncan Sheik, or a much slicker Jack Johnson, Schneider here sticks with a somewhat more uniform musical vision and production style than on some of his past albums, which helps him establish a more distinctive musical identity. An effective melding of myriad musical influences, LOVELY CREATURES will appeal to listeners looking for an album of sophisticated, friendly, smoothly-produced, and quietly unassuming pop music.

Lovely Creatures finds Bob Schneider doing what he does best: ruminating over failed relationships, courting new ones, and pitching his baritone vocals over a mixed bag of pop/rock, folk, and mambo arrangements. Those who love Schneider's versatility have a lot to explore here, as the wide-ranging track list rarely dwells on one genre. Even so, Lovely Creatures occasionally stretches itself too thin in its attempt to widen its creator's comfort zone. The two Latin-inspired tracks, "Bombanaza" and "Tarantula," are longtime staples of his live show, but their recorded versions are so overtly caliente (with brassy horns and feverish hand percussion) that they come off like Marc Anthony numbers. Elsewhere, Schneider channels the beach-bum strut of Jack Johnson on songs like "The Bringdown" and "Your Head Holds Gold, Your Heart Holds Diamonds," two songs that fail to deliver the Texas-sized punch of his past work. Only on the midtempo numbers does the songwriter truly sound like himself, whether he's dueting with Patty Griffin on the gorgeously sad "Changing Your Mind," or chasing after mainstream radio with "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)." Lovely Creatures is filled with some of Schneider's finest songs to date, which makes the album's missteps all the more glaring. ~ Andrew Leahey

Lovely Creatures finds Bob Schneider doing what he does best: ruminating over failed relationships, courting new ones, and pitching his baritone vocals over a mixed bag of pop/rock, folk, and mambo arrangements. Those who love Schneider's versatility have a lot to explore here, as the wide-ranging track list rarely dwells on one genre. The album's two Latin-inspired tracks, "Bombanaza" and "Tarantula," find room for brassy horns and feverish hand percussion, while songs like "The Bringdown" and "Your Head Holds Gold, Your Heart Holds Diamonds" channel the beach-bum strut of Jack Johnson. The midtempo numbers are where the songwriter truly sounds like himself, though, whether he's dueting with Patty Griffin on the gorgeously sad "Changing Your Mind," or chasing after mainstream radio with "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)." ~ Andrew Leahey