"I've come to say exactly what I mean," Joe Pug declares in "Hymn #101," the very first song on his very first record. That sums up the simplicity at the heart of this young songwriter's art. Not so much in a literal sense, perhaps; his lyrics aren't always as clear-cut as that salient line. But the spare and straightforward manner in which Pug presents these seven songs — his confident, craggy voice backed by deft acoustic guitar picking and occasional touches of harmonica, very rarely anything more — leaves no doubt about his preference for the direct approach. Decades ago, Pug undoubtedly would've been saddled with the "New Dylan" tag, but Pug's older-than-his-years twangy rasp is really more reminiscent of John Hiatt. "Hymn 101" is the mission statement, but it's not the only standout: "Nobody's Man" features anthemic chord-strums and a defiant chorus ("I'd rather be nobody's man than somebody's child"); "I Do My Father's Drugs" gets political in a pointedly personal way ("If you see me with a rifle, don't ask me what it's for/I fight my father's war"); "Speak Plainly Diana" connects immediately with its infectious sing-along chant, "I don't mind riding around." That restless sentiment notwithstanding,… read more »