Review

A collection of hard-edged Bakersfield honky tonk from a country superstar.
Though he hails from Ohio, Yoakam has long had affection for the hard-edged Bakersfield brand of honky tonk. This 2003 album is powerful but never in your face; not slick enough for the charts, but as sturdy as anything in his extensive catalogue. The title track's as haunting as a dark, empty hollow, while "Fair to Midland" is a tender ballad in the manner of his earlier gem "South of Cincinnati," his voice smooth and fully seasoned. Willie Nelson shows up for the duet "If Teardrops Were Diamonds," perhaps foreshadowing the elder statesman status that Dwight, too, will enjoy in decades to come.