Joseph Childress releases his debut, self titled album. The songs here are inspired by his adventures throughout the West: working on a cattle ranch in Wyoming, riding trains and living out of his car. His poignant lyrics about loneliness and the western landscape are right at home with a stronger country sound that defines itself on the record's opening track 'My Land'.

There was nothing, sad to say, on this album that felt original or engaging in any way. While tracks like 'Leaving the Barren Land' show that Childress can sing, the majority of songs seem to illustrate that he just can't carry a tune. His guitar playing and ability to write songs that are fine enough - but are neither memorable or engaging - will be the deciding factor on whether you embrace or reject his work here. Personally it wasn't an album I took much away from.

4

Nick Smithson