The lonely, sad-looking figure of Rich McCulley on the inside cover of his latest and fifth album, Starting All Over Again, is understandable in its context. Dedicated to two former confidants (Duane Jarvis and Amy Farris - both artists in their own right and both of whom passed way in 2009) the album is reflectively titled, as McCulley tries to push forward despite such great losses.

Brimming with bittersweet melodies, and filled with an equal mix of heartache and hope, the album treads a musical path somewhere between Americana and pop, Tom Petty meets Fountains of Wayne.

Kicking off with a Jarvis co-authored soundtrack to a summertime's drive along the coastline, 'Tell Me, I'm Listening' sees McCulley cruising the open road, daydreaming about a girl who 'hangs the stars so high'.

'Who'll Hang The Moon' is a song about Jarvis, his music, and his positive outlook on life despite cancer slowly taking him over. This tune is also the first of three on the album co-written by Grant Langston.

'Not the One' - another Langston-assisted track - tells McCulley's story when he heard about his friends death (though which friend is not clear).

Todd Herfindal of The Meadows also puts his signature on three tracks, themselves primarily contemplative and low-key. One of these tunes 'Just a Few Miles to Go' is a bit more upbeat in both structure and lyrics: "It's getting better, don;t you know, you can almost see the light at the end of the road."

McCulley rounds the album off in an appropriately plaintive manner with 'Starting All Over, with a hint of hope with a new year and a new decade ahead of him.

Raise a glass!