Jun 26, 201209:00 AMThe Telegraph
The Premier Blog of the West
New Tunes: June 26, 2012
Chris Cagle, Back In The Saddle – The 43-year-old Louisiana artist has quite a bit of competition in the down-home-country realm. Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Kip Moore, Rodney Atkins and others are ruling the charts by raising glasses to small towns, farming communities, and purty country girls. But Cagle brings a writer’s talent and an effortless vocal style to the party, and he’s certainly paid his dues in the biz, having toured and recorded for more than a decade. Here’s hoping his new stuff gets some deserved attention from fans of all those other guys.
Jerry Douglas, Traveler – He’s the world’s best known Dobro player, and he’s collaborated with many in country and rock’s upper echelon. Some of his friends show up on the latest solo album, including Eric Clapton, Marc Cohn, Alison Krauss and, most notably, Paul Simon and Mumford & Sons on a bluegrass cover of “The Boxer.”
Beachwood Sparks, The Tarnished Gold – The LA band is back after a long, thought-to-be-permanent hiatus, and the timing couldn’t be better. Beach-Boys-style surf rock and harmony-laden country folk have both enjoyed resurgences in indie music; Beachwood Sparks blends those styles into tracks that can easily calm the beast within.
Mindy Smith, Mindy Smith – This New York singer-songwriter’s voice has given us goosebumps for a few years now – it’s got the perfect range and tone for her chosen blend of country, bluegrass and folk. Despite this new record being self-titled, it’s her fourth full-length collection. It’s beautifully mellow, just like the Beachwood Sparks release. Listen to both while working, and you’ll be less likely to let stress set in.
Trace Adkins, “Them Lips (On Mine)” – The message of this new single: Trace Adkins wants to kiss you, lady. Not much more to it than that. But it should be more than enough to fuel the inner fires of his many female fans.
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