Gearan has a 'Remedy' for roots-rock fans

Tim Gearan's album captures the spirit of his Toad shows.

You can't call it a best-kept secret anymore because the place is packed every week. Tim Gearan has had a Monday residency at Toad in Cambridge for 10 years now - and it's the busiest, flagship night for this roots-rock emporium.

Gearan also lives right up the street, but it's clear that his musical reach is much broader. On his new album, "No Remedy," he runs the gamut from rock and funk and gospel inspired by the Staple Singers and Blind Willie Johnson, to the country dynamism of Steve Earle and the piquant, off-beat satire of Gearan's idol, Randy Newman. "Randy is my man," says Gearan, who celebrates the new release tomorrow night at the Lizard Lounge.

"No Remedy," which is Gearan's fourth album, comes closest to capturing the high-energy, full-throttle spirit of his Toad soirees. The kickoff is the Springsteen-like "City of Refuge," featuring Gearan's biting slide guitar (he used to back Grammy nominee Susan Tedeschi) and smoldering horn bursts from local stalwarts Paul Ahlstrand and Scott Aruda, who typically back him on Mondays.

The bluesy "Turpentine" sounds like Newman crossed with Levon Helm of the Band with its wry vocal that "the devil may care, but I tend to doubt it/ And the other guy is never at home." Local mandolinist Sean Staples adds some great filigree.

Gearan is equally inspired on the scorching rave-up "Fickle Betty" (with Andy Plaisted wailing on drums) and the sudden solo-acoustic turn of "Cubby Oil Man," a reference to a Somerville oil company employee. With self-deprecating humor, Gearan sings to his lady, "I would get a job if I only knew how . . . I swear I'll understand if you run off with the Cubby Oil Man."

Gearan has a deep, drawling voice that quickly wins you over. His ragtime cover of "Sittin' on Top of the World" and James Taylor's "Lo and Behold" are further highlights, though most of his tunes are original and testify to his hard-gigging talent. He also plays Fridays at Atwood's Tavern in Cambridge in a more stripped-down setting. He is all over town, frankly, and often sits in with Session Americana as well. And he just performed on a bill in Scotland with fellow locals Alastair Moock, Rose Polenzani, and Kris Delmhorst.

But he really turns it loose with this new disc, which features area all-stars such as lap-steel guitarist Steve Sadler and bassist Lou Ulrich (formerly of Groovasaurus). They're the Boston equivalent of a roots-music dream team. In the liner notes, Gearan also thanks "the Monday night creatures at Toad." But you don't have to be a Monday creature to appreciate this new disc. Just hop on the bandwagon and enjoy.