Slidin Home
It's hard to imagine music more relaxed than that made by singer John Starling and a pair of fellow Seldom Scene alums, guitarist Mike Auldridge and bassist Tom Gray. The reunion finds them working in comfortable musical territory, with guest harmonies provided by friends such as Jon Randall (on Jimmie Rodgers's "Waiting for a Train") and Emmylou Harris (on "In My Hour of Darkness," perhaps her finest collaboration with the late Gram Parsons).  Except for a pair of instrumentals ("South Riding Tango" and Ricky Skaggs's "Irish Spring"), the understated, conversational vocals of Starling provide the focus, with highlights ranging from a revival of "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me," a country classic by Hank Williams, to a slower and effectively plaintive rendition of "Willin'," the stoned trucker's anthem by Little Feat's Lowell George. One caveat: the ten tracks span about 32 minutes, which would be on the short side even for a vinyl LP.--Don McLeese