Not the tremblin' kind

If you were to look at my CD collection, you'd find rock and pop dominating the shelves. Here and there, though, I've found some country artists I really enjoy. I hit a stretch when I read No Depression regularly and kept some tabs on the alt.country scene. My interests leaned--and still do, I suppose--toward contemporary artists working in traditional country music territory. I appreciate the simple craft and directness in the music and lyrics, and these things appeal to me because they conform to my idea of authenticity. (That subject is a whole other ball of wax to tackle some other time.)

I bring this up because I didn't have anything else to write about on a day that welcomes the release of a new album from Laura Cantrell. It's been six years since her last one, and I stumbled upon the news that this one was coming out. After a day packed full with work, I'm settling back to listen to it as I type this up.

Up top I've embedded a live performance of one of the songs from Kitty Wells Dresses: Songs of the Queen of Country Music. What you get there is pretty much what Cantrell does. The songwriting, the singing, and the musicianship shine through. It's nothing fancy, and it doesn't need to be. In fact, that's a great deal of the appeal.