Heartbreak Town
The title track here deals with a country and bluegrass theme--the wickedness of the big city--that's as old as the hills. But McCoury's details (guns, kids and violence, "the sad, sad sound of sirens," the homeless), and the drums driving them, are unexpectedly contemporary. They also put one in mind of the socially relevant subject matter more often associated with former McCoury collaboratorSteve Earle--except that McCoury's response isn't to change "Heartbreak Town" but to beat a path back to the old homestead. So the rest ofHeartbreak Townis more or less what you'd already expect from the son ofDel McCoury: the best mandolin pickin' in the business and soulful vocal phrasing borrowed heavily from the old man. Along the way he moves fromMonroe-inspired bluegrass toGrisman-inspired newgrass, and the return of the drummer on the rocking closer "Last Call" suggests McCoury may not have given up on the city just yet.--David Cantwell