I have an affinity for seasoned white guys whose anorexia appears to be in total remission and who have the talent, wherewithal and guts to pick up a guitar, write some songs and, to varying degrees, get the job done. Dave Lykins fills the bill on all counts. I don’t know much about him, other than that BLURRY WHITE GUY is his debut CD, collecting a bunch of songs which, in Lykins’ words, he “scribbled in crayon” (much the same way I write these reviews) and recorded after hiring a small group of more-than competent studio musicians to provide additional guitar, bass and drums (with some keyboards and mandolins thrown in) to accompany Lykins strumming. So what’s the verdict? Not bad. Not perfect, but not bad at all.

Lykins’ vocals are not necessarily distinctive, but he can certainly carry a tune and the warmth of his delivery attracts rather than detracts. Occasionally he sounds as if he is making up the lyrics as he goes along; yet nearly every track on BLURRY WHITE GUY shows an occasional flash of brilliance, even genius. Listen to “Good News,” which starts off sounding as if the singer is just dropping in for an unexpected visit. If the hairs on the back of your neck aren’t standing at attention by the end of it, you haven’t been paying attention. "I’ve Been In Love Before” sounds like something that John Prine could have written early on, but it’s Lykins’ song, all the way. You can’t copy John Prine; you’ve either got the chops or you don’t, and on this song, the chops all belong to Lykins. It’s one thing to be on the wrong side of 50 and be familiar with having your heart broken, but it’s another thing to sing about how it feels, with authority and without being maudlin. On the other hand, “Here’s Your Love Song,” while being clever, even amusing in spots, owes maybe a tad too much to “Here’s A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)” by Travis Tritt. Lykins redeems himself, however, with “Day After Valentine,” about a guy who in Lykins’ words, is “showin’ up a day late, and several dollars short,” hoping he’ll be welcome.

I don’t know how many more songs Lykins has bouncing around inside himself but based on most of what you’ll hear on BLURRY WHITE GUY they will all be worth at least one listen. Someone make sure that this gent gets a chance to make another project.