Shooter Jennings

On this album's opener, the autobiographical "This Ol Wheel," it's hard to tell if Shooter Jennings is rapping to country music like Cowboy Troy or if he's just fast-talking his narrative like Billy Joel did in the verses of "We Didn't Start The Fire." Lucky for fans of vocal melody, the rest of the album rolls with Jennings' raspy singing and Waylon-inspired outlaw twang. His country rock cover of Dire Straits' "Walk Of Life" could be the definitive version. The waltzing "Old Friend" is another standout, with its mariachi horns. Shooter is sounding a lot more like his late father on this one.

So who is Shooter Jennings if he isn't Waylon's son? He hopes you don't ask --he mentions
"my dad" in the first verse of his third album and before long also name-checks Johnny,
Merle and Hank in case you missed the point. Shooter has himself a rockin' band, and he
can write a little --"Old Friend" male-bonds with some warmth, and "She Lives in Color"
female-bonds with some warmth. But he's the type who loves his darlin' for thos... More >

So who is Shooter Jennings if he isn't Waylon's son? He hopes you don't ask--mentions "my dad" in the first verse of his third album, and before long also namechecks Johnny, Merle, Hank, and Audrey in case you missed the point. Shooter has himself a rockin' band, and he can write a little--"Old Friends" male-bonds with some warmth and "She Lives in Color" female-bonds with some warmth. But he's the type who loves his darlin' for those "ladylike things," and at bottom, he's selling an "authentic" revival of a marketing tool--one his dad invented, known as outlaw country. The most likable song here is by Shooter's 4F-ing drummer, who's in it for the pussy straight up. Sure there are ladies who love outlaws, and guys who wish said ladies loved them instead. But why anyone else should care about this stuff only Willie Nelson could tell you, and his fee is fifty grand. (Grade - ** 1/2)