For his solo debut, Tennessee-based James Jackson Toth has conjured a mysterious, alluring world; Toth's scenarios are intriguingly tawdry and his sounds tantalizing, with layered, almost dream-like harmonies; touches of blues, country and soul and the occasional flash of punk swagger. He assumes the role of storyteller, maybe even a confessor, spinning inter-linked tales of hope and misfortune, romantic trials and spiritual yearning. WAITING IN VAIN is the first album that Toth, long a cult figure, has released as a solo artist and it marks a new beginning for him. For several years he experimented with a folk-psychedelic rock hybrid, putting out numerous discs under variations of the name Wooden Wand.