South Australian Chris Altmann, now based in Canada, continues to hone his songwriting craft and guitar playing on this, his third solo album. There are dips into traditional West Coast sounding country rock, barroom honky tonk and pastoral folk rock in this varied journey through American roots music. Altmann is entirely convincing and comfortable with this music, it sounds effortless, both musically and vocally where his fairly nondescript voice still carries enough grit and weariness, soul and twang to serve his top-shelf songs of heartache and (mis)adventure. Think CSNY, Gram Parsons and The Band playing a Nashville square dance.

Chris Familton