Pocketful of Soul
Jason Ringenberg has always been as much a farm boy as a firebrand at heart, even when fronting Nashville's hard-rockingJason and the Scorchers. Thus this acoustic collection in celebration of rural values, released on Ringenberg's own Courageous Chicken label, is less a musical departure than a homecoming. With multi-instrumentalists George Bradfute (who coproduced the album at his home studio) and Fats Kaplin providing string support, Ringenberg sings of Christian conviction ("Under Your Command"), country Yuletide ("Merry Christmas My Darling"), and his daughter's birth ("For Addie Rose"). He additionally pays tribute to country tradition with a lilting renewal ofJohnny Horton's "Whispering Pines." Though the album-opening "Oh Lonesome Prairie" is a little too cornpone even for Ringenberg, whatever he sings, his sincerity shines through.--Don McLeese