Reviewed by Tony May

Ignoramuses who fall about laughing at the mention of country music should be made to listen to a sample of the newer breed of acoustic musicians taking over said genre. We're talking about superlative skills par excellence. Several of the best, eg, Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, Al Parkins, Paul Over-street and the extraordinary Mark O'Connor, turn up here, all performing impeccably behind Brucie's solid singer/songwriter skills. Carroll's not over awed by the talent packed around him, his expressive voice allied to good quality songs show him to be a skilled "new country" artist. Plenty going on in the roots rock department, to also hold the attention of the avowed anti-country brigade. For sure, the lyrics are not typical country fare, they tackle real basic issues in a sometimes quite abrasive manner. Interesting to see Janis Ian credited as a co-writer. Good stuff all through, how's about setting aside the prejudice and getting your ears around it. You'll be more than pleasantly surprised.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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