[7] Alvin worked on the songs over a period of years after the release of his first solo album, in 1987.

He dealt with health issues, worked on film soundtracks, and helped other musicians.

[9] AllMusic critic Denise Sullivan wrote: "The only thing that mars this wonderful, rootsy singer/songwriter album is a heavy production hand and a drum sound attempting to give it a rock edge; consequently, some of the more beautiful songs like the title track suffer under the weight, but the final cut, 'Dry River,' is alone worth the price of the disc.

"[3] The Washington Post called the album "11 songs so emotionally compelling and finely crafted that they remind one of Raymond Carver's short stories.

"[11] Trouser Press wrote that Alvin's "no-frills singing sometimes fails to hold the spotlight, especially when the backing players crank up.