Caleb Caudle & the Bayonets
(self-released)
Good god, where did this kid come from? Okay, so nominally, Caleb Caudle hails from Winston-Salem, NC, and he keeps a toe or two in Tennessee, where he cut both his 2007 debut Red Bank Road and Stay On (the latter, with Neilsen Hubbard at the board). But the 22-year old sounds like he stepped straight outta Lone Star territory, with jaw-droppingly fine songs steeped in classic Earle, Ely, Clark, McMurtry and Van Zandt.
From slow-burn opener "Loose Leaf Tree," awash in plangent strums, empathetic keys and Caudle's quavery vocal urgency, and the Springsteenian vibe of "When the Moment Comes"; to "Our Heaven"'s country-tinged powerpop and a moving ballad, "Move With the Moon," that's pure Whiskeytown (Ryan Adams, watch your back); there's nary a missed note, a false emotion, a wasted flourish. Just like Steve Earle's son Justin hit the ground running the last few years, Caudle stands to be the next big (young) Americana thing: he's got the voice, the chops and the tunes, that's for sure.
Come to think of it... maybe the more pressing question is, where is this kid headed?
Standout Tracks: "When the Moment Comes," "Our Heaven" FRED MILLS
