Migration
A reputation as a songwriter's songwriter ensures that a troubadour enjoys the highest respect among his peers while receiving minuscule attention from the public at large.  Over a career spanning three decades, David Olney has seen his songs recorded by the likes of Emmylou Harris (who praises him in this CD's liner notes), Steve Earle, and Johnny Cash, while resolutely resisting any commercial formula or compromise. The musical settings here range from the flamenco tinge of the opening "The Song," a meditation on the carpentry of songwriting, to the Brecht-like waltz of  "My Lovely Assistant" and the raucous rock of "Upside Down."  Both "Lenora" and "All the Same to Me" reconfirm Olney as a kindred spirit to the late Townes Van Zandt. Whatever Olney's voice lacks in supple subtlety is offset by the depth of his expressive conviction. Artists looking for fresh material to record will find a country classic in "No One Knows What Love Is," the highlight of an album that explores the essence of song, the mystery of romance, and the relationship between the two.--Don McLeese