Often, the one thing that seperates those of us that are unsuccessful from those of us that are, is how we budget our time. When Varnaline's founder, Anders Parker, found himself facing a winter alone last year while his bandmates closed out their other bands, he took action. Rather than sit around and study the ramifications of Sally Jessy Raphael on pop culture, Parker holed up in a shack in Rosendale, New York with his acoustic guitar. After borrowing an eight-track recorder from a friend, the result of his season of discontent was A Shot and a Beer, a solo EP of love and unloved songs.

The first track, "Hear the Birds Cry," is a waltz through the breakup of a relationship. "Only One," while keeping in touch with its acoustic elements, builds on the intensity and feeling of "Birds." The two center tracks, "In Your Orbit" and "Bardust" move towards a more Wilcoesque, contemporary sound, incorporating drums and electric guitar. The EP closes with the instrumental "Judges Seventeen" and the folk ballad "Don't Come Home."

A Shot and a Beer shows a great deal of promise and potential from Parker, who has crafted an EP of tunes in the old Nashville tradition. Now that Varnaline has reassembled, let's hope Anders doesn't bury his roots.

-Lang Whitaker