Burger's work though has more of an Americana feel to it; "Empty Track" and "The Day After," with its Dobro fills both sound like something you'd expect from the stripped-down side of Tom Petty. The reflective "Piano at the Bottom of the Elevator Shaft" finds Burger recalling both Elvis Costello and Steve Earle vocally while also demonstrating that like Costello in particular he's pretty good at meaningful wordplay.

Southside Johnny guests on the mid-tempo rocker "Trying to Get Us All Killed" where he takes a nice harmonica solo; his harp playing on the western-flavored "Don't Paint Your Portrait (The Deadwood Song)" is more cowboy-on-the-trail though than the bluesy riffs of "Trying…"

Burger is certainly worthy of being more than a regional star and The Day After may be his entrée into the national market.