Yes, this is the same Tommy Shaw who played guitar and sang in the melodramatic prog-pop band Styx, and yes, he’s entered the second decade of the 21st century with an album of country mountain music. Consider this: Shaw was born and raised in Montgomery, Ala., where an attraction to the six-string acoustic found him cutting his teeth in a bluegrass band. This is reflected largely in the opening song, replete with a guest appearance by Dwight Yoakam. “The Next Right Thing” is near-perfect “newgrass” on par with Nickel Creek. Bluegrass diva Alison Krauss turns up singing on the title track, with Jerry Douglas picking and sliding on the Dobro guitar as Shaw spins a moving narrative boasting the album’s best close harmonies. “Get on the One” reveals Shaw to be quite the proficient flat-picker as he confidently keeps up with legendary A-listers Scott Vestal (banjo) and Rob Ickes (Dobro).
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