RIC HICKEY -- Bittersweetheart

If you're a fan of the local music scene, then you're probably familiar with Ric Hickey's dynamic incarnations over the years, from his role as leader of the raucous power trio, the Loose Wrecks, to his more recent acoustic solo performances opening up for Adrian Belew and Los Lonely Boys. Either way, he displays tremendous range in both his wry songwriting abilities and his virtuosic guitar playing. Bittersweetheart, his first release in five years, focuses his talents in an acoustic showcase of stirring songcraft and instrumental prowess that transcends the typical singer/songwriter fare. With its spare production, spare but lyrical guitar hooks and emotional depth, Bittersweetheart at times recalls Willie Nelson in his prime Red-Headed Stranger years. In fact, the opening song volley of "Barely Staying Alive" and "Our Protagonist" feels like a postmodern homage to Nelson in their stark skins, as they recount tales of surviving life's flood of hardships with humor and grace intact. Standout cuts like the Tex-Mex, knife-edged slide existentialism of "Nuevo Laredo" and the resigned, broken-love lullaby "Smuggled" underscore his stylistic range. One of the finest, if underappreciated, guitarists in Cincinnati for a decade or more, Hickey throws out pyrotechnics here in favor of a more organic, understated style of playing, which shapes the material. He also embeds a handful of guitar instrumentals and they're an integral part of the whole, the way they blend with and thematically echo the other songs in shimmering slivers of melodic impressionism. Ric Hickey hosts a CD release party Saturday at the Southgate House Parlour. (Gregory Gaston) Grade: A