A totally curious wee artefact. Like listening to Lou Reed’s “Berlin” if it was written by a slightly less nihilistic theatre kid. I had no idea this album existed and, even while its style does start to grate with me towards the end, there’s something irresistibly charming about it. At times vaudevillian, though not bawdy, you can hear the influence Ackles’ quirky songwriting has had on guys like Tom Waits et al. And I really enjoyed it. It’s not exactly a toe-tapper, and maybe part of its charm stems from its complete lack of popular appraisal. But American Gothic is an album I’m glad I heard before I’m dead.