Shawn Mullins is living proof that the singer/songwriter tradition is alive and well. He shows his mastery of both the composing and the performing ends of his craft on Live At the Variety Playhouse. Recorded in Atlanta in November 2007, this thoroughly enjoyable set finds Mullins fronting a burly folk-rock combo, with his guitarist Peter Stroud reeling off some of the most stinging lines this side of Neil Young. Mullins comes across an expert raconteur as he spins his tales of wastrel friends (“Beautiful Wreck"), nature-loving drifters (“Twin Rocks, Oregon”), and pensive adolescents (“Ballad of Billy Jo McKay”). There’s a degree of schtick to his flannel-clad vagabond persona, but when he tackles a meaty lyric like “Fraction of a Man” or offers a tattered valentine like “Anchored In You,” all such concerns melt away. Ensemble numbers “Santa Fe,” “Cabbagetown” and “Shimmer” have a spiky, shambling feel that recalls the best of Crazy Horse and the Band. “Lullaby,” Mullins’ best-known tune, turns into a boisterous romp. The album closes with a ferocious rendition of “House of the Rising Sun.” Intimate and well paced, this live release holds appeal for Mullins fans and the uninitiated alike.