Fallen, The

magine the saddest voice singing yet another sad tale of a man leaving a woman. The odd thing in this instance, however, is the fact that the singer doesn't really blame him. "I won't stop you when you go/'Cause I'd leave me too." "I'd Leave Me Too" is a refreshing kickoff to an album that just gets better with delicious country & western romps like "Shove It." Audrey Auld's authenticity, curiously, doesn't hail from Texas or Tennessee, but from Australia. The Fallen's arrival on native shores gives notice that, first, country music has long ceased to be a strictly American phenomenon, and second, that Outback country & western may have a thing or two to teach sterile Nashville. Songs like "Too Far to Fall" and "Still Holding On" feature honest-to-God pedal steel and a jaunty country shuffle. Auld's voice cracks and breaks in the classic tradition of singers like Kitty Wells and Loretta Lynn. There's a great duet with Dale Watson on "Jackson" and a good take on Fred Eaglesmith's "Alcohol and Pills." Drummer Doug Gallacher pushes a number of these songs into high gear with a steady backbeat, while Michel Rose lays down some lovely dobro and steel. Auld has written ten good songs, embracing every style from classic country to Western swing. Delivered with confidence and style, The Fallen is an excellent debut. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.|