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Title: Very good American music
Review: I got this CD right when it came out a couple of years ago, on the strength of two very good live shows and their previous effort (which I also like a lot, but haven't reviewed). I think Mark Stuart has a lot going for him as a singer/songwriter. Many of the songs here are originals, and all are very well done. They don't go in for the slick Nashville pop sound, but on this record the results are sometimes surprisingly polished ("Distance Between" being a shining example of that). "Marfa Lights" and "Where I Found You" are good traditional country songs, while "Wind it Up", "Damage is Done", and "1970 Monte Carlo" are Bakersfield-style rockers. But my favorite songs are probably the more quiet and comtemplative ones, like "Beautiful Cage" and "Burn Down."There's a lot here to like, even with repeated listenings over the past two years. I'm looking forward to the next one.
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