Who is Milton Mapes? And, What's Eating Gilbert Grape? These are the questions that have plagued mankind for years. The latter is a 1993 movie in which Johnny Depp (Gilbert Grape) is forced to care for his obese mother and mentally challenged brother, Arnie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The former, Milton Mapes (which has nothing to do with Gilbert Grape), is the grandfather of singer-songwriter/guitarist Greg Vanderpool and, subsequently, the name chosen for his Austin, Texas based alt-country/rock band consisting primarily of Vanderpool and percussionist/keyboardist Roberto Sanchez.

In October of 2003, the band released Westernaire through Aspyr Media - a company best known for converting PC-based games for playing on MacIntosh computers. Although I did listen to Westernaire on my PC, the similarities between Aspyr-produced video games and Aspyr-produced music end right there. This isn't a piece of work originally created for a certain machine and then transformed to play on another. In fact, there's nothing mechanical or mass-produced about Westernaire.

If you like artists like Wilco, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan and even The Wallflowers you'll probably enjoy a dose of Milton Mapes. Westernaire has an honest, bare-bones live sound to it. Songs like “Great Unknown,” “The Only Sound That Matters” and the ambitious “The Sad Lines” play off of a single repeated musical idea. The music in these tunes builds slowly but never escalates beyond a prescribed tension, while the words flow effortlessly with the simple groove.

“Maybe You're Here, Maybe You're Not” is incredibly radio-friendly without sacrificing quality and sincerity. I'm a sucker for the single, so this is easily my favorite cut on the CD. “Some to Reap” oozes comparisons to traditional Neil Young & Crazy Horse along with modern-day wailers like Weezer. Halfway through the 43 minute CD, “Monohans,” an instrumental piece, slowly rides a somber theme and then transitions into the second half of the work with an eerie, resounding slide guitar finale. The slide guitar returns in “This Kind of Danger",”wistfully filling in the background while Vanderpool and company croon, “I kinda’ like this kind of danger.” The song ends with what can only be described as a “banjo accident” and the band singing on in the distant background.

Westernaire may never make its way to a mass audience, but it derserves to be heard with the likes of Wilco, Richard Buckner and Ryan Adams. The understated musicianship and song crafting are beyond flash-in-the-pan melodies. The tunes and words will leave you thinking and wishing for more.

Westernaire, along with other releases by Milton Mapes can be purchased online at www.miltonmapes.com.

Copyright 2004 Ad Media Inc.