Travelin' Singin' Man
Given the number of highly talented candidates, it's not easy being the best-kept secret on the central Texas dancehall and honky-tonk circuit, but Justin Trevino has held that title for several years. Now that he's joined the show ofJohnny Bush, who coproduced this CD, his fate could change. Trevino sings ballads and shuffles in a tenor full of sweetness and yearning, and when he comes down hard on a word, his voice just keeps expanding. The songs cover the usual themes (he didn't write any, as he had on his two prior DIY albums)--from the opening "All Right I'll Sign the Papers" to the bonus track "One More Drink and Then I'll Go," a duet with Bush--but Trevino's interpretations are so soulful that the subjects seem new again. Throw in twin fiddles, lots of succinct steel, and Mexican acoustic-guitar flavorings and you've got one of the Texasmost albums in recent memory.--John Morthland