There's still a sliver of hope for the hopeless on the open road when John Hiatt sings about it. Backed by drummer Kenneth Blevins, electric guitarist Doug Lancio and bassist Patrick O'Hearn, Hiatt's title track rattles with its "hobo dreams" and a straight-ahead, stripped-down sound reminiscent of Warren Zevon's last couple of albums. But the road really opens with "Haulin'," and suddenly the desolation-row vibe is a running bass-line adventure about getting back to one's baby that Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash or Buddy Holly would've loved, too. That's the beauty of recording in a garage studio with a touring band -- believability and vibe on this self-produced effort. There's also the feisty spirit of later-period Bob Dylan from this songwriter's songwriter on "Go Down Swingin'." Deeper into the album there's blues about blind spots and motors going soft, Southern ghosts and backyard corpses. Hiatt's road rarely faces homeward "because there's nothing back there," he sings on "Homeland." The electrifying "What Kind of Love" fesses up about cheating on love and cheating on taxes before giving way to the totally relaxed groove of the country blues Fireball Roberts.