Greg Trooper
Straight Down Rain
Eminent
An honest, finely crafted album from blue collar singer-songwriter Greg Trooper, a man who keeps both his feet solidly planted on country soil on while raising his arms towards working-man’s rock n’ roll. Steve Earle praises him and, as it is, their styles are quite similar, this is warm, up-and-about good-time music for the people. It’s so much better than what you’d generally expect from something made in Nashville, which explains why he’s on Emmylou Harris’ Eminent label, and at his best he is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and Townes Van Zandt at their most extrovert, or even a Willie Nelson in his heyday. At his worst, though, he sounds like the Vince Gills of the world, such as on the tedious classic-country pastiche “Real Like That,” where Julie Miller’s superb vocal effort is the only uplifting aspect. Most of the time, though, Greg Trooper proves why he deserves all the praise thrown in his direction, and this latest album, his fifth, should see him reach a whole new audience, hungry for something with just a little more honesty in it.
Eminent Records: http://www.eminentrecords.com
