Kasey Anderson
(Red River Records)
After four excellent albums, Kasey Anderson ought to now be considered as part of the same circle inhabited by Steve Earle, Ryan Bingham, Townes Van Zandt and other alt-country, roots rock insurgents whose squinty eyed perspective and rebellious regimen finds them going against the tide. Mostly rowdy but occasionally remorseful, Anderson postulates a rebellious attitude, his smoky vocals and ragtag arrangements streamed with dark defiance and a genuine sense of reckoning. His livelier offerings - "All Lit Up," "Sooner/Later," Nowhere Nights" and "Real Gone" among them - emphasize the attitude, but it's more reflective moments, like "Bellingham Blues," "From Now On" and "Like Teenage Gravity," that offer insight into his skewed emotions.
As always, Anderson helps convey his melodies with the aid of longtime veteran producer and former Del Lords mainman Eric Ambel, who uses his instrumental acumen to good advantage when stirring up the sentiment. Nowhere Nights isn't anywhere as vacant as its title implies; to the contrary, it boasts one very bright star.
Standout Tracks: "All Lit Up," "Sooner/Later," "Bellingham Blues" LEE ZIMMERMAN
