In the unlikely event that you are reading this without knowing who Jeff Lang is, he is arguably Australia's foremost blues-based guitarist, and an idol of John Butler, Ash Grunwald, Xavier Rudd, Matt Walker and a slew of other Australian slide guitarists. One of the most important things about his music, though, is that his albums vary widely in mood, tone, production, and genre emphasis. Like all of this music, this album is rooted in blues with astounding displays of guitar skill, both slide and conventional. His previous album, Half Seas Over, had a strong emphasis on acoustic folk with many hints of British folk. The first track on Chimeradour may lure a listener into believing that it will be a continuation of Half Seas Over. Of course, though, Lang doesn't like to repeat himself, and most of this album sounds unlike anything he has recorded before. First, there are the arrangements. Lang frequently plays in minimalist arrangements, either alone or with sparse bass accompaniment. Even his album with fellow blues-based guitarist Chris Whitley (RIP) was quite stripped-down. On Chimeradour, though, he is frequently accompanied by both bass AND drums. Many of the tracks even have back-up singers! Lang also plays more electric than usual, and even most of the acoustic is amplified to create a distorted effect. This all lends more of a rock sound to Chimeradour than any album Lang has recorded since Cedar Grove. However, this album is superior to Cedar Grove because it is more sonically adventurous, combining some of the odd folk sounds of Half Seas Over with some of the darker elements of You Have To Dig Deep. Occasionally, the album dips back into more acoustic folk, but the over-all mood of the album might even appeal to indie rock fans with open ears and an appreciation for "roots" music. The important constant in Lang's music, though, is his guitar artistry. Whether playing a Weissenborn, lap steel, dread, or electric, his slide work, fretwork, finger-picking and even strumming never cease to amaze in their creativity and deep emotional impact.