You can rely on Loudon Wainwright's acidic wit for commentary on our economic turmoil and the stand-outs on this slim volume hit the spot sweetly. "Don't feel bad, things are gonna get worse," is the veteran songwriter's advice. On "House", he ponders the effects of negative equity on marriage (not all bad, apparently) and later assures us: "If death is the test, this is just a quiz." Wainwright's updates of two songs from the 1930s Depression are a reminder we've been here before and while his tone becomes shrill at times, his mix of nihilism and jauntiness (with ukulele) are finally uplifting.