Buckner Loses Vision of ‘Doubt’ in Concert

“I had [it] in my head since my marriage,” singer-songwriter Richard Buckner has said of “Devotion + Doubt,” the title of his new MCA album. “It made even more sense after the divorce.”

That wry comment captures nicely the bittersweet resolve of the album--a captivating work in which the Fresno native says goodbye to a relationship with a revelation and candor reminiscent of Neil Young’s farewell to innocence in the landmark “Tonight’s the Night” album.

On stage Tuesday at the Ash Grove, Buckner sang most of the album’s folk-country-tinged songs in an aggressive, biting style that underscored the emotional wounds outlined in them. The tension in the best numbers was compounded by the suggestion that there is greater comfort in the sweet misery that follows the breakup than in any notion of actually getting back together. Unfortunately, Buckner--with chiefly guitar backing--also played nearly a dozen other, generally weaker songs, most of which had a relentlessly similar emotional tone and imagery. As a result, a vision that seemed fresh and focused on the album became a bit belabored and grating. Rather than earn our devotion, the performance raised a doubt about whether Buckner has anything else to say.