True to its title,
The Nashville Acoustic Sessions is a set of acoustic-based music that finds
the Mavericks frontman
Raul Malo collaborating with three well-respected Nashville musicians (guitarist/mandolinist
Pat Flynn,
Rob Ickes, and bassist
Dave Pomeroy). The acoustic setting results in much more pared-down arrangements than
Malo's recent records (whether with his band or his one solo outing, 2001's
Today). This disc of cover tunes is also
Malo's most twang-centric in years; however, it doesn't lack eclecticism. Songs are drawn from
country icons
Hank Williams,
Jimmie Rodgers, and
the Louvin Brothers, as well as more contemporary figures like
Gordon Lightfoot,
Gram Parsons, and
Bob Dylan; there are also a pair of
standards:
"Moon River" and
"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons." The disc starts off with a solid yet obvious selection,
Roy Orbison's
"Blue Bayou," as
Malo's vocals have long been compared to
Orbison. Although he doesn't soar to
Orbison's otherworldly heights, his passionate singing conveys the song's melancholy mood. After a decent but rather sedate rendering of
Lightfoot's
"Early Morning Rain," the album picks up steam with the
gospel-tinged
Louvin Brothers tune
"Great Atomic Power," which is followed by an aching rendition of
Williams'
"Weary Blues From Waiting," and
Dylan's
"You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go," which gets a spry
country workout here. The disc's second half -- demarcated by an "instrumental break" of
Jimmie Rodgers'
"Waiting for a Train" -- is more of a mixed bag. The highlights include strong versions of
Gram Parsons'
"Hot Burrito #1" and
Van Morrison's
"Bright Side of the Road." However, both
"Moon River" and
"Sentimental Reasons" come off sounding a bit too lounge. These tunes accentuate the slicker qualities of
Malo's otherwise wonderfully rich vocals. The nimble but easygoing performances delivered by the trio of instrumentalists perfectly suit this disc's relaxed feel.
Flynn and
Ickes particularly stand out on the touching version of
"When I Stop Dreaming," the record's other
Louvin Brothers number. While this all-covers collection doesn't reinvent the wheel, it provides 40 minutes of classic tunes delightfully done up as good, old-fashioned
country music. ~ Michael Berick
