Singer-songwriters Greg Brown and Jim Brunberg color Corvallis their own

CORVALLIS — On singer/songwriter Greg Brown’s latest album, “The Evening Call,” his molasses-thick voice is so rich that after listening, you might need to go on a strict diet of something light and wafer-thin, like Japanese pop, or else your iPod will start to fit kind of funny.

So bring a spoon Friday when you head to Corvallis High School as Brown returns to town to perform his deliciously rich brand of song styling.

There is something seriously edible about Brown’s voice, whether he’s crooning through the spoken word poem “Eugene,” or mourning love lost in the age of the Internet on “Cold & Dark & Wet.” Filled with raw, shaky emotion, he mourns lost love with a twisted smile.

“I fell in love like a drunk in a pond/ That twisted gal of whom I was fond/ She found a new man on the Internet/ Wham I’m spam and it’s cold and dark and wet.”

In “Bucket,” he sings about the impossible addictions of love, and our refusal to shed the bonds of romance, whether it’s good for us or not.

“Call it impossible, call it a crime/ Not kissing you is a waste of time/ It doesn’t scan and it doesn’t rhyme without you/ Call it a picnic, take it to the park/ Meet me at the willow along about dark/ The only song I sing like a meadowlark is about you.”

In “Whippoorwill,” Brown anticipates his lover’s departure, and promises that he’ll toss away pride and follow her, rather than live alone with the songs of birds as his only companions.

“You are dearer to me than the birds or the stars/ Sweeter to me than the hills and the flowers/ Long as I have you I can take anything/ So let love be home, and let the whippoorwill sing.”

Brown, who happens to be married to another fantastic performer, Iris DeMent, has recorded nearly 20 albums and has won numerous awards and multiple Grammy nominations. His career has included running hootenannies in New York, time spent on “A Prairie Home Companion,” and touring around the country. He is an advocate for environmental responsibility and social justice, and his work often reflects this philosophy, both lyrically and in the causes he chooses to support through his music.

This year, Brown will be joined by Portland musician Jim Brunberg, who is best known locally for creating the Mississippi Studios Project, a northeast Portland-based performance and studio space that highlights local musicians.

Brunberg is the former leader of the band Box Set, and currently does production work for Oregon Public Broadcasting’s weekly radio program “Livewire.”

As an independent artist, Brunberg classifies himself in the Americana genre, but a sampling of his work on his MySpace page reaches beyond that tradition. In his songs, Brunberg shows a rich sense of humor in addition to an appreciation for a wide variety of musical forms.

In “Mexican Divorce Honeymoon,” Brunberg introduces a mariachi feel to his work, while also channeling a little Jimmy Buffet, as he humorously recalls a south-of-the-border romantic adventure that’s a little bittersweet.

“We landed in this beach resort town/ We were the two palest people around/ You were beautiful/ but let me tell you/ that being naked in the sand/ well, that’s a big letdown.”

Old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll takes center stage with “I Get A Kick,” in which a shy prisoner declares his undying love for a young lady who has caught his eye.

“I want you and me to take a stroll/ But I just found out I’m never gonna make parole/ But you could slip me the key/ slip me in your trunk and set me free.”

There’s something darker at work in “Animal,” when an escaped zoo inmate finds himself back in another cage, one formed by settling down with the cotton candy girl.

“We found a little den and we made it our own/ Turned off the TV and we threw away the phone/ And you carved my name in the cornerstone/ but all around, people were smiling/ I get it now/ You know you cannot have your monkey unless you own him somehow.”

One of the sweetest songs is a more traditional Americana piece that explores how the finiteness of life is what adds to its beauty. In “Lover’s Song to Death,” he talks about the inextricable connections between the power of love and the finality of death.

“There is no dance without you/ no such thing as romance without you. We sail through the skies recklessly/ I’ll take my chance around you, and dive to the sea.

“The salmon fights the stream/ to live its final dream/ returning through the summer torrent. Cicada summer song/ says life is never long/ but love is strong/ because of you.”

To listen to some of Brunberg’s work, or to download his songs, go to www.myspace.com/jimbrunberg.

CHECK IT OUT

WHO: Greg Brown with Jim Brunberg

WHERE: Corvallis High School Theater, 1400 N.W. Buchanan Ave.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, May 16

TICKETS: $24.50 available at Gracewinds Music, www.corvallis

theaters.com.