Temporary Road by John Gorka

Temporary Road is the fourth album by folk singer-songwriter John Gorka. In 1992 there was some critical consensus that Gorka was one of the leading male voices of the "new folk" movement. As titles like "Looking Forward" and "Gravyland" might imply, the album has an overall optimistic tone. High Street Records produced videos for the upbeat "When She Kisses Me" and "I Don't Feel Like a Train", both of which received some airplay on CMT. Despite the upbeat tone of many tracks the album also contains some darker political commentary. The title track, and "The Gypsy" life offer reflections on the first Gulf War. "Can You Understand My Joy?" is asked in an ironic, sarcastic way. The mix of moods in Gorka's songs helped earn him the description of "the dark optimist."