Label: LOST HIGHWAY
Rating:

Built around a voice as raw and unpolished as the dusty New Mexico landscape where he was raised, Ryan Bingham’s sound is a grimy take on country rock, fueled by nicotine and a troubadour’s restlessness. When Bingham growls that he was born a bad man’s son (on Roadhouse Sun’s hard-driving opener “Day is Done”) it’s evident that at least a little bit of daddy’s attitude was handed down. But beyond the sometimes abrasive exterior of his music, there exists a songwriter who is a keen observer of modern society, one sensitive to injustice (”Dylan’s Hard Rain”) and the longing for home. Roadhouse Sun strikes a satisfying and unique balance between ass-kicking rockers and traditional folk storytelling, with just a bit of blues and soul added for flavor. Here Bingham’s captivating songwriting easily matches the mark set by 2007’s highly-touted Mescalito.