As someone who’s lived longer than his father, Loudon Wainwright III contemplates mortality more than the usual singer/songwriter. Here, master banjoist Tony Trischka joins Wainwright, along with saxophonist Steve Elson (David Bowie, Radiohead), drummer Sammy Merendino (Michael Jackson, Lou Reed), and bassist Tim Luntzel (Rosanne Cash, Bright Eyes). Small band performances such as “I Knew Your Mother,” “Depression Blues,” and “I’ll Be Killing You (This Christmas)” help demonstrate Wainwright’s irony, sarcasm, amusement, and anger. Yet there’s nothing like hearing the songs at their subtle best, like the touching ballad “In a Hurry.”

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