Somewhere between the ultra-hipness of Wilco or Ryan Adams and the MOR horrors of Vince Gill or Garth Brooks lies a rich seam of smart, savvy rural sounds. These 12 artists inhabit the wide open spaces between the alt scene and the mainstream: the thinking person’s country, if you will, where contemporary singer-songwriters reference the past while looking resolutely to the future.
As a showcase for lesserknown talents, this latest collection from Putumayo is hard to beat. Eliza Lynn comes on like a prairie Peggy Lee on the jazzy Sing A New Song, Josh Ritter revisits the mythical pioneer West on Harrisburg, and the Old Crow Medicine Show’s Wagon Wheel picks up the trail previously travelled by The Band.
A couple of bigger names are featured to bolster the appeal. Robert Earl Keen’s Ride breathes the same dusty air as prime Kris Kristofferson, while the Norah Jones side-project The Little Willies beckon the ghost of Patsy Cline on It Ain’t You It’s Me. A constantly surprising sampler, neatly sidestepping rhinestone slickness and redneck-littered theme parks, that proves intelligent country music is still out there and kickin’ ass.
