CD review: Todd Snider, "The Excitement Plan"

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Todd Snider “The Excitement Plan” (Yep Rock)

Singer-songwriter Todd Snider integrates vivid storytelling, sharply honed satire and an array of musical genres into his clever album “The Excitement Plan.”

Snider, who broke out in the 1990s with his spot-on folk-rock commentary “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues,” maintains his knack for cranking out musical short stories brimming with timely humor.

“The Excitement Plan,” which he dubs in the liner notes “Your sure fire cure for the hard times,” opens with the chipper, folksy “Slim Chance,” with lyrics about looking on the bright side: “I found a four-leaf clover in my yard today/It had one leaf missing off it/But that was OK … That’s close enough for me.” He closes with a sprightly Dixieland two-step wish for “Good Fortune,” punctuated with a bouncy harmonica, a few words of wisdom and a rambling cop movie plot.