Cleary’s career has included drumming in psych-poppers The Essex Green, stints in The Pants and Famous Potatoes, mandolinist in contra-dance string bands and a 1997 release under the moniker Stupid Club (Made To Feel). Once resident of Austin, he now calls New York home, but sounds Tennessee in spirit. Confused? You should be, but Numbers Add Up sounds like the happy nesting of a restless muse. Tapping into a literate strain of country-folk, his mellow delivery is as easy to swallow as James Taylor’s, but glows with lasting warmth. Buffeted by accordion and lap steel, the likes of “Hometown” and “Your Next Move” prove that simple is superior.
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