No, this Corey Hart is not the 80s synth-rocker best known for "Sunglasses at Night" and "Never Surrender."  Nor is he the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder of the same name.  Hell, he isn't even P!nk's husband, the famous motocross racer.  (That is Carey Hart.) 

If anyone ever had a valid reason to take on a stage name, this is the guy.

In fact, his publicity release spends a good amount of time explaining who Corey Hart is not before they can even get to who he is.  It almost reminded me of Christine O'Donnell's "I am not a witch" political ads.  When you are introducing yourself to people, you really want to tell what you are, not what you aren't.

It's too bad, the name is a distraction that the singer/songwriter does not need - particularly seeing that the other singing Corey Hart is attempting a bit of a comeback at about the same time as this EP is being released. 

Winter Bones is a unique piece of songcraft that is not even remotely similar to the music that was the stock-in-trade of his namesake.  However, it has its own charms.

So, the question remains.  Who is this Corey Hart?

Based on the evidence of Winter Bones, he is an acoustic based rocker with a good ear for a hook and a passionate vocal style.  The opener "Extinguish" pretty much sets the table here, it is a dreamy and softly seductive meditation on the darker reaches of his fevered soul.

"Blue Mountain Thistle" has the traditional folky beauty of early Dan Fogelberg (and yes, that is meant as very high praise), a sweet and softspoken old school ballad.  He also pulls a shuffling midtempo beat and a vague bluegrass feel in for "Paper Fins."

The title track has a vaguely martial beat and a surprising falsetto over mournful little power chords to create an atmosphere of quiet resignation.

In some ways, Winter Bones has the desolate beauty pictured on its quietly affecting cover.  This is not the kind of music that will find much of a home on radio, but for the few discerning fans that are able to track it down, it will offer ample rewards.

Jay S.  Jacobs