The Packway Handle Band asked Jim White to produce their next album. White agreed and turned up with enough songs of his own to inspire this collaborative collection. Perhaps it was an unspoken telepathy among fellow Georgians or simply a love for roots-rock, country, folk, and bluegrass that altered the relationship between producer and artist. As a Packway Handle Band album, Take It Like a Man is a clear good time. As a Jim White album, it’s surprisingly upbeat. Tracks such as “Wordmule Revisited” and “Paranormal Girlfriend” benefit from the band’s rising spirit, while “Gravity Won’t Fail” lets White ruminate in his skeptical way.