Little More Livin
Trent Willmon's sophomore bolt from the chutes not only bears out the promise of his 2004 debut, but proves him to be a more solid artist than some folks might have thought. The West Texas native cowrote seven of the eleven songs, which draw on his own life as a creek-bank philosopher, real-life cowboy, and father.  For that reason, perhaps, Willmon never sounds forced or inauthentic in romancing about Shiner Bock, fishing gear, and an iced down Iglou cooler, or building a Chris LeDoux-like song around the easy camaraderie of a roping pen.  He comes across as a man who solidly knows who and what he is, even if it's a jilted lover hoping to revive a dead-end romance ("On Again Tonight").  As a stylist, the traditionalist seldom veers from form, his voice as durable yet as plain as a pair of blue Wranglers. Yet try as he might, he's not really the right singer for his own "Louisiana Rain," a scorchingly passionate R&B song of loneliness and desire. But elsewhere, particularly on the funny cheating song "Surprise," Willmon proves a fine guide to his material, taking great pleasure in life's guilty--and simple--pleasures.--Alanna Nash