Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius Pick on the Past » PopMatters

Nostalgia can be a good thing; a warm blanket to wrap oneself in, offering comfort when the present day seems too much to bear. For many people these days, this means watching old movies on television, playing the records of one’s youth on an old turntable, and reminiscing about old, pleasant memories. There is nothing more uncool than a boomer reminiscing about back then. In that sense, bluegrass maven Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius’ latest album, Paper Flowers, isn’t exactly cutting edge.

Twelve of the album’s 15 songs were co-written by Tom Paxton. Paxton is a musical genius celebrated for his songwriting abilities, sense of humor, and mellow sensibilities. He was one of the few artists from the folk revival era who never really changed his style even as he decried the changes around him. His 1964 song “The Last Thing on My Mind” is a contemporary classic that has been covered by everyone from Pat Boone to the Grateful Dead to Billy Strings.

Paxton has written a whole heap of other tunes, including many excellent ones, but he has also put out a whole heap of swarmy, silly ones that seem right at home on one’s annual NPR parody fund raisers. (In case that reference is unclear, this is a put-down.) What would one expect from songs on this record with titles such as “Fat Pile of Puppies”, “Lonesome Armadillo”, and “Father of the Bride”? There’s nothing heavy here.

Next, Tim O’Brien is joined by his wife, Jan Fabricius, as co-creator on mandolin and vocals. A word of advice to music creators—it is rare for a husband and wife to create a good album together when the marriage is doing well. The best records emerge when there are difficulties. Just ask Richard and Linda Thompson, Carly Simon and James Taylor, Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell, John and Yoko, and more. I’ll leave it up to the reader to figure out who made good records when the marriage went bad and vice versa. O’Brien and Fabricius seem happily married.

This sweetness would make a picky eater diabetic. Or as a dissatisfied reader once told an editor of mime, humor is hard. I am picking on this album (without the picking skills O’Brien and Fabricius have on stringed instruments) as a way of comically provoking one into coming to their defense. I am an old man.

One of my favorite memories is watching the movie The Harvey Girls on an old black-and-white television. The 1946 film sentimentally evoked an even older historical period as Judy Garland and Angela Lansbury fought to win the West—or the men of the West, or the restaurant and saloon business, or whatever. It has a great soundtrack highlighted by the big production number about a train line (“On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe”). The song and movie have been largely forgotten except by old movie and music fans.

The first song on Paper Flowers is “Atchison”, which purposely evokes the old song, as well as Jimmie Rodgers, Lewis and Clark, and Amelia Earhart, and employs yodeling to emphasize the sentiments. Hearing O’Brien and company makes me want to wrap myself in a blanket and watch the movie again, or at least dig out the soundtrack.

In the meantime, the rest of the record is a pleasant listen. Songs such as “Yellow Hat”, “Always the Sunrise”, and “Back to Eden” offer wistful looks back at what once was with a winsome grin. Paxton’s lyrics and Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius’ talents are clearly on display—if maybe a bit too much over 15 songs. It’s not the kind of album meant to shake up the room and get everybody partying, but it should bring a smile and even a tear to those who appreciate bluegrass and folk.