Struck By Lightning was the culmination of Graham Parker’s previous two records, where he increasingly began to chronicle domestic tasks and affairs of the married heart. For such an intimate subject, Parker wisely decided to scale back the musical ambition of Human Soul on Struck By Lightning, recording a lean, stripped-down album that relies heavily on acoustic guitars. Appropriately, his lyrics were some of the most concise he has written in years, breathing life into tales like “The Kid With the Butterfly Net” and “Wrapping Paper.” Parker’s music is similarly simple and tuneful, making Struck By Lightning his best effort since the early ’80s. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine