Blue Highway

Certainly extraordinary musicianship and electrifying vocals account for the lion's share of acclaim Blue Highway--comprised of esteemed former sidemen for greats like Doyle Lawson and Alison Krauss--earned with their first two albums. Yet it's apparent from listening to this, their third, that their vivid imagination and emotional depth as both songwriters and song choosers account for their music's haunting originality. There's nary a weak link in these 12 richly diverse and adventurous tracks, which were produced by Ricky Skaggs, but standouts include folk-inspired originals like the mournful "Clay and Ottie," the hard-driving "Born with a Hammer in My Hand," and a jaunty prison song called "Don't Come Out of the Hole." No less thrilling are Blue Highway's soulful adaptations of Dock Boggs's "Troubles Up and Down the Road" and Sting's "I Hung My Head," an eerie tale of casual murder and profound remorse. --Bob Allen