Today's (other) Track - Bob Evans: "Power of Speech"

I've had Bob Evans' 'Goodnight, Bull Creek!' album for almost three months now, but during this time, I haven't been able to select a single track which stands alone as being 'the best'. So, quite fed up of trying to decide, I've picked 'Power of Speech' in (shock!) quite a rational decision. However, a bit of history for you first:
Bob Evans, to me, represents everything 2006 - his 'Suburban Songbook' album was played endlessly during that year, my final one of primary school. (Oh, the cheese I'm about to write of!) Now, I realise why. The album was based on the joys and general happenings of living in the suburbs, and it was in that very place (well, in one of the thousands of Australian suburbs - Prospect) where I spent all of my primary school life. Everyone lived in Prospect, everything happened in Prospect. How simple life was back then. Now, being a high school student, it's not that my life's better or worse - it's just different. Very different.
'Goodnight, Bull Creek!', released this year, brings me back to those 'other' times, and it's an album hard not to love. It's consistent - way more so than I was expecting, I must admit. It's catchy, it's emotional, it rocks hard, tones down, then turns it back up, it rejoices the seasons; but, best of all, it's easy to relate to. Evans discusses the notion of leaving the suburbs for the city in 'Somewhere So Much', the album's lead single. 'Hand Me Downs' is about how everyone still has a bit of their childhood remaining with them, or even on them, as he sings that he wears "the same stuff as I did in '98".
Musically, it's more of a 'band' album than his previous efforts. This was a good move on his part - a recent influx of corny male singer-songwriters of little talent (cough Jason Mraz) have put me off a lot of acoustic music. Bob Evans is not one of these, and this was demonstrated best when I saw him live a week back. Electric guitar solos, band jams, and his clearly large intake of red wine, transformed him into Bob Evans The Rockstar, instead of Bob Evans, Mum's Crush.
If there's a lone dud on the album (which is equally as hard to select as a lone standout), it's the final track, 'Everything Goes', which features only him, a few finger picked guitars and flute. Although it is of decent quality, it does feel a tad out of place; not to worry, there are ten other tracks which do feel in place, including a few which are more mellow than metal (well, to be honest, nothing on this album is even remotely like metal. The volume's not at all set at 11; it's probably just been turned up from 5 to 7. But I'm desperately trying to avoid calling it 'country rock', so I'll settle with 'up-tempo pop'). One such track is 'Power of Speech', Evans' take on Bossa Nova, which is suprisingly sweet yet slightly seductive.
I'm getting to the point now where I'm rambling about everything and nothing. So, to finish off: trust me, 'Goodnight Bull Creek!' is a great album. And, remember, turn the stereo up loud (well, to about 7) just as Bob Evans did.