Dallas Wayne - Big Thinkin' (2000/2020)

Too many alt-country bands seem to think that crudeness equals authenticity: unpolished songs; badly tuned guitars; reedy, flat vocals. Dallas Wayne knows better. While never delving into modern Nashville slickness, Big Thinkin' delivers a potpourri of deft picking, soulful singing, and crafted writing that cleaves to the authentic country tradition of "three chords and the truth." Much of the credit goes to Robbie Fulks, who coproduced the album and either wrote or cowrote with Wayne all dozen tunes. On a song like "Lie, Memory, Lie," Wayne's voice recalls another new traditionalist, John Anderson, as it tells a tale of pain avoidance through selective memory. Its lyrics hew closely but easily to the conceit--always clever, never forced. Then there's the through-composed Merle-style ballad "The Only Way to Die," where Wayne requires simply an acoustic guitar and his "Hag" baritone to bring a tear to your eye. In a world of pretenders, both pop smooth and pseudo hip, Dallas Wayne is the real deal. --Michael Ross