Trad., disaster and jazz - more new "Country" releases!

The Racontuers : Old Enough

Ashley Monroe is one of Country's finest young singers and Ricky Skaggs is one of the industry's stalwarts.

They join forces here with The Raconteurs to produce some truly brilliant traditional Country music which - sadly - will probably never see the light of day on "Country Radio".

This is real singing, not processed, retuned, compressed reverbed singing.  These guys could stand up in a bar and produce exactly the same sound as you hear on CD.

Heck, that means it just has no place in radio's bizarre pop-oriented programming.

Try it. You might just like it.

Caitlin & Will : Even Now

I should probably know who these two are, but I don't.

I'm going to presume they're "newcomers" and that this is their debut single.

When he sings, you wonder when the song will get interesting. It does when SHE sings.

SHE could have a future in Country music. He COULD be her reliable guitar player.

It sounds harsh, but I recommend an early split so that at least one career succeeds rather than both sinking without trace.

Marc Broussard Featuring LeAnn Rimes: When It's Good

This is a fascinating jazz/saloon song with Country fiddles added.

This guy has the kind of soulful voice that will delight cruise liner audiences forever.

LeAnn kind of gets in the way of his work.

Quite why Atlantic Records think this has anything to do with Country music escapes me. Unless, of course, they remember all those years ago when LeAnn Rimes WAS (note - past tense) WAS a Country singer.