Most songwriters have a favorite subject, and the members of
the Baseball Project are lucky enough to be in a band where all five members love the game of baseball and want to sing about it. 2008's
The Baseball Project, Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails may have seemed like a charming and entertaining one-off when it came out, but like many baseball fans, principle songwriters
Steve Wynn (of
the Dream Syndicate) and
Scott McCaughey (of
the Minus 5 and
the Young Fresh Fellows) and melody man
Peter Buck (formerly with
R.E.M.) know the National Pastime has (and can inspire) an endless supply of great stories. 2023's
Grand Salami Time is the fourth album from
the Baseball Project, and it's every bit as fun, engaging, and tuneful as their debut; these folks have shown they can go back to the well and not come up dry, and they can revel in fandom, share oddball stories, celebrate the men who played the game, or tip their hat to favorite announcers without losing the plot. It doesn't hurt that
Wynn,
McCaughey, and
Buck are all first-rate tunesmiths who are good with the music as well as the words, and the blend of their guitars is satisfying throughout. They also have a top-shelf rhythm section in bassist
Mike Mills (
Buck's former
R.E.M. bandmate) and drummer
Linda Pitmon (ex-
Zuzu's Petals and the timekeeper in
Wynn's
Miracle Three), and even without the hook of songs about the Great Game, this album would be well worth hearing just to hear this band mix it up. Considering how much fun the participants are having (they can even conjure a convincing dance pulse on "Disco Demolition"), it's impressive how good they can be when they choose to get serious; "Journeyman" is a somber, affecting account of man resigned to his rootless life, "That's Living" tries to make sense of the death of Jose Fernandez, and "64 and 64" offers a bittersweet tribute to Jim Bouton's life before and after writing Ball Four.
Mitch Easter, the jangle pop icon who produced
R.E.M.'s early work, was at the controls for these sessions, and he gives the music a warm but direct sound that flatters the songs and boosts the joy of this music. If you're looking for some fine listening to bide your time between games on a summer afternoon,
Grand Salami Time is just what you need, and it will even do the job during the off-season. ~ Mark Deming
![All Around Man [Live in London]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/mimages/0000000000000_p0_v0_s192x300.jpg "All Around Man [Live in London]")
