Mike Schikora may be a cowboy, hat, horse named JB and all, but if This Cowboy’s in Love (a bow to the title song?) is cowboy music, it must be cowboy music for the 21^st century, as there are only bits and pieces suggesting a throwback to the singing cowboy era of yesteryear.

Mike wouldn’t have to evoke Muddy Waters’ name in Long Way From Where I’ve Been (the first of 12 songs Schikora either wrote or co-wrote here)- though he does- for it to take me too long to conclude that Mike's kind of cowboy music is at least equal parts blues (Check out Be Good To Me) and/or sometimes country.

Hoot Hester and  Hargus "Pig" Robbins lead the list of impressive musicians assisting Shikora (who provides his own background vocals) with this project.

Mike produced this CD and also assited Zane Baxter with the arrangements.

The songs are uniformly pleasant.  All have their moments and some seem to coax the listener to sing along, though be advised that Run Like the Wind is not a cover of the old Christopher Cross hit.

As far as hit material, that might depend on if the world is ready for yet another song titled Blue Heartache.  Then again, with the right promotion, Come Closing Time, Pour Me Back Down and Be Good To Me could be contenders.

Josh Turner

Haywire (Deluxe Edition)

 Rating *** 1/2

More Than Satisfied

Rating *****

While Taylor Swift may be dominating the country charts with her songs of teenage angst, Houston-based Liz Talley remains focused on the traditional country music, its themes and a bit of its variants that have drawn fans to country for decades.

With such proponents as Leona Williams and Becky Hobbs in her corner (Leona and Becky contributed songs to the album and their high-praise of the singer on Liz’ liner!), not to mention a reliance on the pens of such tunesmiths as Lacy J. Dalton, Fred Koller, Tammy Cochran, Dave Kirby, Don Williams, Bob McDill and more, Talley sets the stage for the “traditional country music that we don’t hear a lot of these days on the radio.  There’s still a market for it and thank goodness for XM Radio- Willie’s Place… It’s been great exposure!”   

 Talley’s pre- and post-production team assembled (way) off Music Row- in Arkansas to be exact- where vocals were recorded at Cherokee Village’s Lake Paradise Studio and the CD was mastered in Batesville.

Of the twelve tracks, including the title song (the title of which summarizes my reaction to this collection), the rousing Bump Bounce Boogie, and Liz’ duet with Tony Booth (remember him?) on a Billy Yates-Jerry Salley song (What We Don’t Have), I have a few favorites of my own:  These include Talley’s take on Leona Williams’ The Way It Was and  Liz' reprise of I’m Not That Good At Goodbyes ( perhaps even Stella Parton agrees, a standard deserving a cover rendition at least every decade or so, that it might be introduced to a new generation of listeners).

But perhaps the most innovative recording here is Johnny Getting Out of Jail Barbeque.  If you’ll recall, it was a perhaps apocryphal barbeque (depending upon the source), that resulted in Johnny Rodriguez heading for jail (for the first time), so this song has nothing to do with Rodriguez.  Rather, it’s a creative tale about an unusual gig, with a narrative from the “entertainment’s” perspective.  (Road-weary and otherwise struggling musicians will want to buy Liz’ CD based on this story-song alone!)           

If the surname Talley makes you thing of James or Lewis, realize that, in addition to her loyal U.S. following,  Liz receives “a lot of attention and sales overseas.  I’ll be going back to Germany in March with Martha Moore and a couple of Texas acts… Hopefully with time, I’ll get some opening act spots or increased sales.”

I expect both for Liz in 2010.  She’s easily made one of the best CDs I’ve heard in 2009!

Nathan Lee

Risk Everything

Rating ****

If you’ve a 12th & Porter regular, you’re no stranger to Nathan Lee’s music. A tattoo collector, Nathan Lee, is no longer homeless, though his personal struggles factor into the autobiographical lyrics, as well as the personal philosophy, permeating the lyrics of these 11 self-penned (or co-written) tracks. (Something to keep in mind lest you, scanning the titles of song selections, think that Still, a song Lee co-wrote with Paul Moak, is a Bill Anderson cover.)

It’s hard to classify Nathan’s music, though it is in keeping with one whose musical persona is that of “Hallmark cards & hand grenades," "rainbows & razor blades” and on and on. Lee’s vocals suggest a raspy, growling mixture best described as Rod Stewart meets Bob Seeger meets Kenny Rogers.

Nathan is clearly a thinker and one with an ability to turn a phrase. There’s a little gospel, a little Christian imagery, and a lot of introspection in these lyrics.

It’s hard to pick out any particular song that will drive this album, though the infectious, Open Road (Yes, for all his raspiness, Lee can hit a high note) is the perfect opener.

Bob Dylan fans know the name Hollis Brown. So do those who have followed the indy quartet for years. (Check out the group’s Running Out of Range released in 2000.)

Hollis Brown’s new self-titled CD (featuring Passin' Me By) has been heralded by both MTV and CMT. Such convergence commands respect that music critics appreciate, as should music fans, whether or not the band’s energized, hard-driving sound appeals to those beyond a certain age.

Hollis Brown is Jon Bonilla (lead guitar), Mike Montali (vocals, guitar), Mike Graves (drums) and Michael Woscyk (bass).

All 11 songs were written by Jon and Mike. Best bets (especially for those who are more CMT than MTV): Walk on Water and Carolina, Carolina

Bryan Ragsdale

Where Cowpokes Grow

Rating ***

Nothing in Bryan Ragsdale’s Luck Media bio suggests any kinship to Ray Stevens (née Harold Ray Ragsdale), so I’ll assume there is none.

Indeed, Bryan’s music is less suited to Stevens’ style than to say Michael Martin Murphy. Listeners instantly get the feeling that if Bryan didn’t cut these largely western songs first, Riders in the Sky, or singers of yesteryear ranging from Moe Bandy to Rex Allen, Jr. might have chart career resurgences.

Actually, Ragsdale has done all right for himself, building on the success of his 2007 debut album Wyoming Melodies with this CD and the debut single from it, Modern Day Mountain Man.

The single was wisely chosen since it is easily the most radio-friendly song on this 13-song CD, though I’m sure many will enjoy the title song or any number of the other recordings found here.

Looking at the list of tracks, I couldn’t help but notice #13: Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Surely, there can only be only song by that title, I thought (sometimes it’s not good that you can’t copyright a title), but how would it fare alongside the largely cowboy titles like He’s A Cowboy and A Cowboy Lives?

Actually, the musical departure suggests some versatility, as Ragsdale keeps Judy Garland’s wistfulness while changing a line or two to make his rendition truly Bryan’s song (Apologies to Brian Piccolo fans. I couldn’t resist!)

Airwaves

Rating **

This self-titled EP features the music of Brooklyn-based songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Nicole Schneit and her group.

Nicole is a promising songwriter- she wrote each of the five songs featured here- but as a singer I can only charitably call her a stylist.

That’s not a slam if Schneit’s music is to reviewed the same way one might critique Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson or many other songwriters who record but are not really “singers.” However, when I can hear Nicole’s lyrics over what is at times overpowering production, I’m still giving points largely to what is impressive musicianship

Nicole’s vocals sounded flat and off-key when I heard the first track Gems, which, frankly, sounded more like an assault on my ears than- well, a gem.

Thanks to shared vocals with drummer Dave Ferraro, Ryan Trott (on bass and guitar) and Chester Gwazda (the album’s producer), Lightning is a vast improvement.

The other songs here are OK, but maybe by shifting lead vocals and recording its next CD in a Nashville studio (this one was recorded in Baltimore), Airwaves will make me more of a fan.

David Nail

I'm About To Come Alive

Rating ****

This 11-song CD’s title track may not become a classic, but it is a well-written addition to music of the classic “don’t give up on me” theme of many country songs.

Indeed, it sets the mood for the following selection, one with which David Nail’s fans are already familiar, given the hit status of Red Light, again, an interesting lyrical twist on the traditional leavin’ (or, in this case, being left) country song.

Lookin’ For a Good Time is the title of a song that comes close to that of an Alan Jackson hit, but its interesting take on the realities of casual sex seems more suited to David’s ability to address the concepts of introspection and growth than to Jackson’s shy, laidback persona.

Summer Job Days sounds more like a song Kenny Chesney may have written or had on hold. (In reality, the song was written by Neil Thrasher, Dulaney and Gary LeVox.) This is especially intriguing in that Kenny co-wrote (with Scooter Carusoe), the almost equally-nostalgic Turning Home, seemingly for David who wrote about his own roots in the “Show Me” state, Missouri.

But my hands-down favorite on a CD of several good songs is one that David co-wrote with Scooter: Clouds got my attention with a brilliant lyric espousing a philosophy that many women probably haven’t considered and don’t necessarily want to hear, but this “guy’s song” lays it on the line, if you want to know “the truth.”

As with most of the other songs on this CD- and how could I resist saying so?- David’s nailed it!

Sean Walsh and the National Reserve

Homesick

Rating ** 1/2

Sean Walsh & the National Reserve are a Brooklyn-based group (with members, apparently, whose number exceeds the number of fingers on both hands) that have a style all their own.

That’s not to say I fully understand their music, described as being “steeped in Americana tradition.” That’s because, even with a second listen, some of the songs seem to be overpowered by the mix.

The listener feels robbed, but not sure whom to hold responsible: Kyle “Slick” Johnson engineered and mixed Lovesick, co-producing the album with Walsh. In any event, Sean is obviously content with his choices because he’s released Lovesick on Lover’s Dream, Walsh’s own label.

I enjoyed what I could clearly hear, notably My Dizzy Head, the theme of which is suggested by its title and a rockin’ hand-clapper titled You Know.

Cathy-Anne McClintock

Rating *** 1/2

Former Tumbleweed singer/songwriter Cathy-Anne McClintock’s self-titled CD is much-anticipated by fans of the Canadian bluegrass band. McClintock’s newest ”ensemble” effort (hubby Steven produces, daughter Tessa sings harmony, as do Trisha Gagnon, Eric Uglum and Matt Borden) also features Alan Doyle and the songs of David Fertitta, Larry Wayne Clark and others.

McClintock’s inclusion of I Wanna Live Like That , a pleasant, upbeat duet (one of two, featuring Tim O’Brien) proves that Cathy-Ann continues to embrace the bluegrass sensibilities that have brought these 13-songs being marketed as folk/Americana/country to the fore.

Highlights include No Matter What (I like the wisdom and willingness to take a stand suggested in the lyrics and well as McClintock’s rendering of the song) and Strong Enough (Cathy-Anne, as protagonist, projects an artful display of crabbiness, somehow making such an emotional display an almost endearing quality.)

Hey, a song of attitude, is puzzling in that it contains the four-letter alternative to the word excrement. Unfortunately, this all but(t) guarantees either radio censorship or an edited radio version of an unnecessary diversion from lyrics that are powerful enough without evoking a reaction suggesting that, even in the 21st century, behavioral double standards still rule.

Best song found here? That would be So American, an artfully-written commentary that Bob Dylan might have written had Dylan been channeling John Mellancamp . (Indeed, how many songs can you name that conceptualize “serial monogamy” while name-checking Ben Bradlee’s better-half/Quinn Bradlee’s mom, the equally-famous-in-her-own-right, Sally Quinn and Page Six favorite, Steve Wynn?)

Tanya Tucker

My Turn

Rating *****

By now most of Tanya Tucker’s fans are aware that Tucker’s cut a dozen country standards for a record label imprint as a one-off project. They know that these covers of hits, ranging from Faron Young’s recording of Wine Me Up to Merle Haggard’s Ramblin’ Fever, are songs that Tanya believes honor the memory of her father Beau (a/k/a Bo), who loved traditional country music.

They may not know, however, that while no one twists Tucker’s arm, she had to be persuaded to go this musical direction.

When I interviewed Tanya at entertainment law attorney Jim Zumwalt’s office July 8th, Tucker told me she was six songs into a Greg Brown-produced album of new material when Pete Anderson called her “out of the blue… I asked Greg to call [Pete] back [but Greg] never did.

“So I called Pete back and I said ‘What’ve ya got?’ He told me and I still was a little hesitant because I was more into coming out with something new, but then I met with Jim Zumwalt and he put it into layman’s terms for me."

Zumwalt’s practicality impressed Tucker, ultimately winning out because Saguaro Road Records, while hardly a household name, packs the muscle of its Time-Life association in the all-important areas of marketing and distribution.

In the end, Tanya told me “ I’m so glad I made the decision to do it because working with Time-Life has been a real walk in the park. Compared to all of my other record labels put together, they have done more for me already than any of them have… They listen to suggestions… and they actually do something about them.”

Listeners are the real winners, however. While Tanya’s pairing with Jim Lauderdale on Love’s Gonna Live Here Again won’t bring back Buck Owens and Don Rich, it’s the next best thing.

Similarly, while Tanya and The Grascals are no Conway and Loretta, they bring off an entertaining yet respectful interpretation of After the Fire is Gone.

Tanya and Rhonda Vincent also offer a respectful rendition of You Don’t Know Me that I think both Cindy Walker and Eddy Arnold would have thoroughly enjoyed.

Even the staunchest Wynn Stewart fan will admit that Tucker and Jo-El Sonnier do justice to Big, Big Love, while Charley Pride and Ben Peters would concede that Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone remains in good hands, despite the improbable combination of Tanya Tucker and Flaco Jimenez bringing back that classic.

Wisely, Tanya does not try to mimic Lefty Frizzell in her recording of I Love You a Thousand Ways, thus averting the potential disaster inherent in all of these ”men’s songs” Tanya has either feminized or otherwise made her own.

Safe to say, comparisons to the originals are impossible and therefore pointless. This reviewer has chosen another standard by which to judge. The broad standard is entertainment value, broken down to include style, production and substance.

If you’re a fan of Tanya Tucker, and/or if the original recordings that inspired these choices hold a special place in your heart, you’ll grant Tanya’s handwritten wish, as expressed in this CD’s cover art: “I want you to love this CD!!”

John Flynn

America's Waiting

Rating ****

If Garth Brooks and Neil Diamond combined voices and wrote what used to be called protest songs and folk music, adding the story songs of Tom T. Hall, the intensity of Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, or Kris Kristofferson, you might mistake their voices and pens for John Flynn’s.

The title tune of 11 self-written songs John offers for our consideration immediately strikes the listener as a train song with a twist (a bit of panoramic patriotism as viewed from a train window) Johnny Cash would die for, were he alive today.

A well-connected singer/songwriter who needs no introduction to Kristofferson, is produced by Steve Fishell and who has hired a pair of rather expensive backup singers in the form of guest appearances by Kim Carnes and Elizabeth Cook, John keeps his performances interesting as his music explores several different themes.

The Passunder (New Orleans) is a respectful reminder that Hurricane Katrina packed a wallop that continues to resonate (sometimes to unexpected effect) among those most affected and that the rest of us really can’t look away even in 2009.

The Prodigal Father strikes the listener as another lyrical standout until the final verse and chorus which leaves the listener with regtet: “I thought John wasn’t going there." Taking the obvious tack in this instance can only be described as highly unoriginal, pandering songwriting.

This bit of disappointment assures me a clear favorite among Flynn’s songs. That would be Semper Fi, proving you don’t have to be a Marine to appreciate an Iraq war-era tribute to those whose experience typifies both the best and at least one of the worst aspects of military service.

Daisy Mallory

Rating *** 1/2

Daisy Mallory’s self-titled EP will inevitably invite comparisons to Taylor Swift if only because, at 16, Daisy is an amazing singer/songwriter/guitarist who has already come to the attention of Rod Essig, Henry Neuman, the folks at PLA Media and other industry types.

The five songs here provide a great introduction to a teen with a great future ahead of her. Posin’, a young woman’s assessment of a relationship’s future based on the discordant intentions of parties to it, is the obvious single here. Whether the song becomes the hit it deserves to be seems contingent upon Daisy securing a label deal (although Mallory’s myspace following and a street team associated with it could prove me wrong). However, I’ve already decided on the natural follow-up: the autobiographical Daddy’s Boots, the curly-haired redhead’s personal reminiscence, but one that will spark a similar personal early memory upon listeners’ first hearing.

Charlie Faye

Wilson St

Rating ****

Music Row has been waiting for someone of Charlie Faye’s ilk since- well, when Charley McClain stopped having hits!

Faye goes McClain one better, though: Charley’s hits were largely written by, as in the title of one of her hits, men. As a result, the lyrics to McClain’s hits were rather stylistically presumptuous, while Faye is either the co-writer or sole writer (conceding that Charlie’s co-writers are Will Sexton and background vocalist Philip Gibbs) of the 10 songs found here.

Charlie’s vocals are refreshingly clear and closer to the alto range than those of the screechy soprano sirens who often dominate the country charts. While some of the songs are bit esoteric (none of them explain the significance of the title, which is that it involves a story that takes a paragraph to explain, the upshot being that Wilson Street in Austin is Charlie’s old stomping grounds), Lady of the Leading Man has all the elements of a classic.

When I heard Jersey Pride it reminded me of My Home’s In Alabama in the sense that, while I am neither an Easterner nor a native-born Southerner, let alone from New Jersey or Alabama, you can’t hear either of these songs without feeling the pride of those who hail from those regions and wishing you were one of them.

The album’s only sour note is its cover. Charlie Faye’s talent alone sells these songs. Why in the post-feminist era of 2009 is Faye compromisingly-photographed in skin-tight attire, hands clasped behind her back, legs draped virtually spread eagle, or otherwise, around a record player?

Johnny Bulford

Livin' It Up

Rating ***

Johnny Bulford sounds like a cross between Moe Bandy and James Taylor. Johnny’s songs, with themes of growing up, being dumped and grudgingly maturing, limit the comparisons to Bandy and Taylor- both old enough to be Bulford’s father- and are winning Johnny his own following.

A Colgate Country Showdown grand prize winner, Johnny is being marketed via publicity releases that troublingly-tout his endorsement deals as readily as Bulford’s singing and songwriting. It’s all part of an unsettling scene that, at age 23, Johnny should call a halt to, lest the focus shift from what could be a promising career.

Best cuts: The title song, Remember the Brave (a timely military tribute) and The Real World (a slacker’s witty realization that, even though society respects a hard-won sheepskin, it covets a strong work ethic over, say, generation-based self-indulgence).

Tina Guo

Autumn Winds

Rating *****

Tina Guo’s music is not country, but she doesn’t consider that an insult any more than my divulging that Autumn Winds doesn’t boast any moving lyrics.

That’s because the 23-year-old producer/performer/arranger/recording artist is a classical/multi-genre electric cellist and the 10 selections found on Autumn Winds are all instrumentals spotlighting Tina’s unique artistry.

Whether interpreting the work of the masters (such as Johann Sebastian Bach’s Air) or introducing her own (A Song With No Words, co-written by Tina’s co-producer/engineer, Thomas “Baraka” DiCandia), Guo will make many fans with this CD.

Other notable selections here include Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s (The Tragedy of) the Bumble-Bee (evoking memories of the legendary composer’s Flight of the Bumblebee) and the instantly-familiar Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.

Roy Rogers

Split Decision

Rating **** 1/2

As is clear from the opening bars of Calm Before the Storm, this (bluesy slide guitarist) Roy Rogers has no ambition to be the next Leonard Slye. And, in this instance, as Martha Stewart might say, that is a “good thing.”

This multi-talented Roy Rogers could probably hold his own as a singing cowboy, but the songs he sings, writes, and co-writes are more along the lines of his “commiseration” with Donna Johnston which the duo aptly title Patron Saint of Pain. (How can you not love their warning to a woman who has mortgaged her soul that she is being pushed to extremes?)

Rod Serling would surely appreciate Requiem for a Heavyweight and when the CD’s instrumentals (Your Sweet Embrace and Walkin’ the Levee) weren’t taking me to another dimension, I was enjoying Holy Ghost Moan, the album’s closer, which finds writers Rogers, Dave Gionfriddo and Steve Gordon challenging listeners to “Listen to the Holy Ghost narrate all your dreams.”

Richard Jaymes

Dollar and a Dream

Rating ***

Having previously reviewed the title single, I’m breaking a self-imposed rule and reviewing Richard’s album only because I think it’s important that fans not limit their perception of Jaymes’ capabilities, as they often do re: those whose careers are either jumpstarted or given momentum by novelty numbers.

As previously noted, Dollar… is smartly written with a timelessness that transcends the novelty category, but the single gives no hint of Jaymes’ musical range. The nine other songs here suggest that range is considerable.

Richard’s style suggests many musical influences and an ear for a lyric that is evident in these songs, all of which he has written alone or with the mysterious W. Pauley.

Whether Jaymes assumes the persona of a guy on the make (Sweet Southern Girl), a lover scorned (Four Leaf Clover), or a rebel (Never Learn), he demonstrates impressive vocal versatility and promise as a songwriter, given his approach to classic themes.

Spring Creek

Way Up on a Mountain

Rating **** 1/2

Spring Creek, a bluegrass festival favorite, formed five years ago. Most recently the quartet (Chris Elliott on banjo, Jessica Smith playing a mean upright bass, Guitarist Taylor Sims and Alex Johnstone mandolin and fiddle) caught Rebel Records' attention.

Deservedly so, since these grassers bring a special excitement to their unique sound. From trading lead and harmony vocals to surprising listeners with a couple of change-of-pace instrumentals and the musicianship of Michael Cleveland and Sandy Van Meter thrown into the mix, Spring Creek's contemporary sound signals that this ain't your daddy's bluegrass.

Of course, your daddy might disagree, particularly when he gives a thumbs up to the quartet's version of Bill Monroe's recording of In Despair.

Then again, I don't know what Baker Knight would make of Spring Creek's cover of Ricky Nelson's hit, Lonesome Town, but I thought it was great!

What would a bluegrass album be without a "little darlin'" song? Better, if you ask me. But, for those who don't ask, It's Alright My Darlin' will fill the bill.

The album's title is derived from My Love Is Way Up On A Mountain, the first of a dozen performances, many of which will have fans counting the days till the May 5th release of Way Up on a Mountain.

Wyatt Easterling

Where This River Goes

Rating ***1/2

Easterling teams with producer Celeste Krenz to make music that teams intelligent lyrics and streams-of-consciousness thought-patterns with complimentary melodies. The amalgam is often pure poetry of the Americana or what used to be called folk-country variety.

With a little help from Jessi Colter (billed here as Jessi Colter Jennings), Sonny LeMaire, John Scott Sherrill and others, Wyatt draws on lyrical and/or vocal support and inspiration for nine of these 10 songs that Easterling either wrote or cowrote. The strongest of these are the title song, Modern Day Drifter and Fireflies and Whippoorwills.

Wyatt's cover of Tony Joe White's classic, Rainy Night in Georgia, isn't bad, either!

Richard Jaymes

Dollar and A Dream

Rating ***

Over the years there has been no shortage of neither dollar and/nor dream-themed country-music songs. But Richard Jaymes has written and recorded a contemporary take on Main Street's response to Wall Street in a manner that would get Horatio Alger's notice.

While I have yet to hear the album of the same name, its title song (one version of which is absent the other's fiddle mix) spotlights Richard's energetic style as it suggests to listeners a bit of optimism available to anyone, even in these hardest of times, when all they may have is A Dollar and A Dream.

Carolyn Currie

Waves of Silence

Rating ** 1/2

Not to be confused with Andres Condon's 2004 CD, Carolyn Currie's Waves of Silence may be best termed Maine's answer to Nanci Griffith at her ethereal best.

That is to say, Carolyn's distinctive voice and what I would call "insistent lyrics"- lines that demand your rapt attention, lest the meaning be totally lost on you- demand an emotional investment that a distracted, hook, or melody-oriented listener may be unable and/or unwilling to make.

Even if a listener is intent on making that investment, there should be gratitude for the lyric sheet packaged with the CD, since what is at times overpowering production distracts where it should assist in conveying what, in some cases, turn out to be some very powerful, if simple messages.

Carolyn fuses poetry with inspiration that is sometimes populist in nature, but other times maddeningly exclusionary, due to what seems to be an esoteric creativity that for listeners is akin to wanting to be privy to what sounds like it might be a good story.

The first half dozen of the 11 songs found here I could easily do without. The lyrics seemed like they might be compelling, but again, all I could make out was snatches. (A subsequent read of the lyrics showed a talent for writing songs- Carolyn wrote all 11- but nothing really new in the messages of these first six.)

Thank goodness reviewers don't listen to an opening line(s) and then toss the CD. Cut seven (Kaleidoscope) either had me listening more intently (if that was possible) or I was beginning to get it. The imagery was all that I might hope for from a song with such a title.

Rolling Thunder spotlights production techniques to best advantage though the title is more metaphor than the message of a song best appreciated by Vietnam vets.

The World Is Flat and Hot for a House are easily the most "fun" songs found on Waves of Silence, with the latter, a bit of jocularity in these recessionary times, being the most commercial of selections if one is searching to find a track that is "radio-friendly."

Megan Munroe

One More Broken String

Rating ****

I don't know if Megan will be flattered or insulted, but Munroe strikes me as a new artist in the Miranda Lambert (musical) tradition. The jury is out as to whether I am alone or not in that perception (Megan's debut CD is set for a February 10th release), so let's add to the confusion by adding Gretchen Wilson and Carrie Underwood to the comparative mix.

The result is country's emerging mainstream: the intelligent, sometimes marginalized, young, edgy, white woman whose rough edges are softened with a touch of humor and an appealing self-confidence.

One More Broken String (the title is taken from the lyrics of Pennies in the Ocean, one of the CD's 12 tracks) accentuates the singer's pensive side, while Moonshine, Megan's debut single, showcases the singer's vocal range and no-nonsense persona in a radio-friendly fashion.

Just about every song found here is worthy of your attention, albeit for different reasons. Angel on My Shoulder (Devil on my Back) begs the (rhetorical) question, How many other instances can you name of a song with lyrics that reference both the word "hell" as an expletive and "Jesus" as- well- taking the name of many listeners' Lord other than in vain?

The lyrics of Belle Meade, another intriguing song title, must not refer to the snooty, upscale area within walking distance of my Nashville home. If they do, Munroe has some 'splainin' to do.

While most of the songs here are, as indicated, listener-worthy, the singer/songwriter can be most proud of Leavin' Memphis. If the story-song is not Megan's next single, the powers-that-be are passing up, given the competitive nature of the music business and its small window of opportunity for newbies, potentially-crucial career cement.

Ryan Delmore

The Spirit, The Water, and The Blood

Rating ***

No less an authority than the Jordanaires' Ray Walker spanked me (figuratively speaking, and therefore probably deservedly), then lectured me (OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration), when, during a fairly-recent phone conversation, I used the terms "Christian" and "gospel" music interchangeably. (Shhhh... Don't tell Ray I wrote promotional material, some years ago, for Ron Cornelius.)

I thought of that conversation when reading the promotional material accompanying singer/songwriter Ryan Delmore's debut album. Lotos Nile Media's single-spaced, six-paragraph introduction to Delmore and his music calls this 11-song CD "a unique collection of gospel music" equally-suited for "AAA or American radio" in one sentence, adding in the next "This record eludes consumer classification."

So is this Christian music? The title, taken from the English translation of 1 John 5:7-8, is the best evidence to support that idea, should one want to advance it in the absence of the apparently-polarizing "Christian" designation anywhere in promotional materials that state The Spirit should be exempt from the record business retail rules of genre distinction.

I'm not sure that an artist can sing and write lyrics that embrace a philosophy (such as that suggested in the title and Bible verse) and distance himself from the singular, my way or the highway message by delivering his "intimate" love songs with a familiar roots twang."

Interesting cuts: Sacred, The World Can't Take it Away and Love of God.

To the extent that a partisan can shoot for ecumenism, I think "raggedy-voiced" Ryan has has the best chance of reaching the "varied and adventurous" mass appeal audience, in a way not possible by say, The Delmore Brothers, if his label, Varietal Records, expends its energy promoting my favorite among Delmore's less-divisive cuts, the prayerful Provide for Me.

Thompson Ward

Porch Funk

Rating *** 1/2

Having had the good fortune to meet and hear Steve Thompson and his partner, Bonepony founding member Bryan Ward, for the first time at a Printer's Alley showcase, I wondered how the music of this most visual of duos fronting a high energy Band would translate to CD.

I needn't have worried. Just as hearing a CD for the first time and having not seen the video gives you a whole different take on the lyrics and performance, which is not necessarily better or worse, the Porch Funk CD is just a different listening experience.

"Different," as in unique or original, is a categorization that seems to crop up with some regularity in any description of Thompson Ward's various modes of performance. Porch Funk is not only a catchy album title (there is no title song of the same name to be found here), it is an apt, albeit somewhat contradictory, description for a genre the band has made all of its own.

Steve, Bryan and the band have mastered the art of staying close to the original while also rendering a unique performance of the former. Similarly substituting a stylistically original take on the latter- same lyrics, melody, but different interpretation- they makes up for the performance's lacking of the hallmarks of Jerry Reed's recording: humor, showmanship and intensity.

I heard 10 of the 16 selections here at the aforementioned showcase, including a couple of familiar hits of yesteryear: a cover of David Bellamy and Jim Stafford's Spiders and Snakes (Thompson Ward's take on The Bellamy Brothers hit will be released in January) and Jerry Reed's Amos Moses .

These could easily be radio hits again. Neal Spielberg proclaims them to be "two of my favorite covers" and they certainly help to bridge a gap in musical tastes among listeners; an otherwise mostly-generational chasm that allows some to appreciate, and others to wonder, what to make of what is often a fusion of heavy metal with Mississippi swamp music.

The other selections for this album, that was three years in the making, may not be quite as radio-friendly, though, as indicated, mainstream country radio airplay doesn't seem to be the band's primary goal.

Bryan and Steve have had a hand in writing most of the songs found here. One gets the feeling they and their biggest fans are most partial to a couple of songs with political themes: Difficult Times and Stank.

I'm still wondering if Mother's Work Song is meant to be tongue-in-cheek as I ponder the significance/inclusion of the recitation titled Buddy Love's Testimony.

Jesse Goplen

Cowboy

Rating **1/2

If, unlike a book, you can judge an artist by his (album) cover (art), Jesse Goplen is the most baby-faced Cowboy I've ever seen. (Flip the cover open and a second photo reveals Jesse in shades. The look remains less than menacing, but the still unsmiling shaded Goplen seems to have instantly shed some of his youthful visage.)

These may be silly observations, but, hey, Jesse's thumbprint is on every other aspect of this CD (except perhaps the album photography and small vinyl design within the package. They come courtesy of Kyana Taillon, Goplen's gal pal and the mother of his two children.) As the liner on this 9-track set reads, "All songs written, performed, recorded and produced by Jesse Goplen at his studio in Humboldt County, California. Guitar and vocals were recorded simultaneously with no overdubs or additional tracks."

I get the "blues and punk aesthetic" of a singer whose sound affirms his "aspirations to change American's drug laws." But, to my ears, the title track (a not-so-thinly-veiled tribute to Willie Nelson) is the only song that would incline me to pay the often-brooding Goplen any attention. The other songs aren't bad, they're just nothing special. The last three of these (Highway 101- no, not another tribute song, to an erstwhile country-music group, anyway- Freedom's Twilight and Blind Morning Light are all radio edits, begging the question of whether the new listener- in this case, that would be me- is missing something that might be more evident with a complete hearing. (Major remixes of performances, in the name of radio friendliness, label economy, or whatever, shortchange the befuddled listener who wonders if something other than, say, the absence of profanity, is limiting the listening experience.)