Anders Osborne - Ash Wednesday Blues (2001)

New Orleans is known for producing musicians in search of a good time, men who are long on boogie, but short on content. Osborne just might be the exception. He owes as much to artists like Jackson Browne and early Bruce Springsteen as he does to Dr. John or Professor Longhair. Have no fear, most of these songs still bring the slurry wobble most people love about the Big Easy, but there's a self-deprecation to these lyrics and enough dark imagery to make sure you take Osborne seriously. Whether he turns into Townes Van Zandt (hopefully), or Bob Seger (hopefully not), remains to be seen. This is a snapshot of an artist discovering himself. Very good in its own right, it leads one to believe the next record just might be a classic. Stay tuned.