From the New York Times...

The ex-Dire Straits leader's new album lives up to its name. Shangri-La is a very relaxed-sounding record. The emphasis seems to be more intimate folk and acoustic sounds ("Our Shangri-La," "Whoop De Doo"); although Knopfler can lay down a lean, bluesy groove ("Song for Sonny Liston," the commercialism satire of "Boom, Like That") and some country riffing ("Donegan's Gone," of the late skiffle king Lonnie Donegan). And in a stylistic departure, "Postcards from Paraguay" convey a Caribbean flair, as "Don't Crash the Ambulance" carries a breezy Latino feel. Knopfler's word play and distinctive guitar picking are things to partake pleasure in with a tall cool one under a palm tree.

Mark Knopfler Shangri-La Warner Bros. By David Chiu