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Tom Paxton has a gospel-like quality in his voice and his words. In the first song on Comedians and Angels, How Beautiful Upon The Mountain, you get a sense of his rich religious background as he quotes Isaiah: “Hope was in your heart and justice will not be denied.” He sings of peace and politics and has a cultured sound. His piano and harmonica are well-seasoned -- he’s been playing for a long time and you can tell. That adds to his charm.

It’s so hard to find 'nice' songs these days -- songs about friendship and dreams. Paxton lends an older-world theme to his love ballad When We Were Good. The strings here are pizzicato at just the right pitch for his voice. The words are still happy even though the relationship he mentions is clearly over. “Oh, she knew me through and through.”

There is a southern twang to The First Song Is For You. Here Paxton has one of my favorite lines on the entire album: “Every time I start it’s still the same. When I move my pen it writes your name.” I could see him on a big wrap-around porch singing to his family about lost love and what he’s learned in life. His wisdom comes through in each and every song -- honestly and naturally.

Paxton tries out a Spanish theme in And If It’s Not True, singing of bars in Barcelona (where he used to call home). The exotic instruments add a delightful change to his normal style. I am impressed with his versatility. He covers many themes in this one album -- and I'm pretty sure this sampling demonstrates only a few of his strong points.

Tom Paxton often reminisces about the past and all he has accomplished, in a new found comfort way. There are no regrets but lots of memories -- memories he loves to share. Out To The Ocean and Bad Old Days bring up how things have changed, but his lyrics show these changes in a positive light... for example, telling of what he has found in each lost love.

His ballads bring something fresh to the table. The way be portrays the women in his past leaves them with their dignity and beauty intact, something that is missing from most lost love songs these days. Another line that rang true to me was from Reason To Be where he’s back to the topic of old flames. “She is the one touch of heaven I know, here on this vagabond planet below.”

I could also picture some of these songs in a children’s book. They are appropriate enough to be told to grandchildren and they have genuine messages that anyone can learn something from. Especially the song Home To Me (Is Anywhere You Are). This feels like a family sing-a-long to me. The lyrics are yet again genuine and hit right home. “When I met you there was nothing to decide. It was simply something happening inside.”

Comedians and Angels is a gem in the alternative genre. I love to hear an honest songwriter coming to the table to talk about his family. There is no drama or loud acoustics to cover of any lacking talent. Paxton knows exactly what he’s doing, and once you give this cd a try you won’t need to be told why. It will be clear.