Well this was a surprise. I am not a Country fan.... especially this "new" country which just seems all glitz with little substance and sounds more pop than country. Now Dwight Yoakam's songs, on the other hand, would never be mistaken for anything other than traditional country music and the stories he tells are stark and unapologetically raw. I would have chosen different arrangements; less fiddle and steel guitars and more mandolin and acoustic guitars but with songwriting this strong these minor quibbles. 4 stars