Missing a deceased love, the singer regrets sweet words left unspoken and longs for a heavenly reunion (“When I Look to the Sky”). A trendy, status-conscious “All American Girl” gets chided for her superficiality by a man who thanks God for what he has. “I’m About to Come Alive” finds a husband wanting to heal a strained relationship. So does “Calling All Angels” which also mourns a world where “private eyes solve marriage lies” and “children have to play inside so they don’t disappear.” Two very average people find love on “Save the Day” (“Ten pounds too much to the naked eye … but she’s cool like a soda can sittin’ on ice”). Desperate to rejoin his sweetheart, the singer races to close the miles between them (“Following Rita”) and urges her to do the same (“Get to Me”). He affectionately describes his woman as a rainbow of wonder on “Your Every Color.” Accepting relational differences is the soul of “Counting Airplanes.”
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Love songs grounded in everyman sensibilities make My Private Nation special. The five guys in Train don’t seek a goddess, but appreciate a common woman of substance. The absence of objectionable content just adds to the disc’s appeal. A great pick, musically and lyrically.
