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The son of producer Bob Lucas (who's worked with Alison Krauss), Austin Lucas settled in with producer Mark Nevers for his latest solo endeavor. Here, he nails down country songs that sound like a cross between classic country hits from the '60s and the tunes Richard Buckner used to write when he was getting loose and finding his voice. Except that Lucas is no young babe finding his way, and these songs are further confirmation of a talent that’s spent far too much time under the radar. “Small Town Heart” is already a fully grown song, and the atmospheric “Rings” shows admirable restraint and gorgeous economy. “Save It for Yourself” is a further sign of his natural country talents, which are likely too complex for a contemporary country music scene focused less on tradition than on figuring out new ways to incorporate hard rock in its sound in order to satisfy disgruntled classic rock fans. Yet each song here sounds exactly like what country music might have resembled had it not flirted so hard with pop and rock. For traditional country fans, this is a beauty.

via Apple Music