MUSIC

Bacon Brothers

Getting There (Bluxo)

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An album by actor Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael might easily be cast aside as a mere novelty. If that's true, it would have to be a novelty twice over, since the Bacon brothers already have one album under their belt, 1997's Forosoco. But just as some musicians can act, some actors can also make pretty decent music. On Getting There, the duo's mix of country-folk and rock is never embarrassing and mostly quite solid. Actor Kevin has a surprisingly convincing singing voice that, although at times strained, is appreciably energetic nonetheless. At their best the duo is charming and even their bad moments are easily dismissed as signs of inexperience. Perhaps the most sophisticated song, lyrically and musically, is "Ten Years in Mexico," which has some wonderful moments of acoustic guitar.

True, it's not Johnny Cash or Bob Dylan, but it at least deserves to give Shania Twain a run for her money. On Getting There, there's a version of "Jersey Girl" by Tom Waits, a musician who has managed to forge an acting career with an ounce of grace; perhaps some day we can play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with musicians rather than just actors. B