Rustin' In The Rain

Tightening his belt to deliver a record that runs less than a half-hour -- a considerable shift after 2022s triple-album Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? -- Tyler Childers cuts away all the extraneous fat on Rustin in the Rain, an album thats as succinct and resonant as an old 60s or 70s LP left to gather dust in a dollar bin. The connection to the past is intentional and apparent on Rustin in the Rain: he takes the time to deliver a bruised cover of Kris Kristoffersons "Help Me Make It Through the Night," a song that seemingly appeared on every other country album of the early 70s. At times, Childers does nod to the shaggy beginnings of 70s progressive country -- the title track gallops like a runaway steed -- but hes not beholden to the outlaw caricature thats calcified over the decades. He dabbles in scripture on "Luke 2: 8-19," finding space for Margo Price to play the role of an angel; he leads his Food Stamps band through a rolling, sunny groove on "Perchon Mules," and concludes the record with "Space & Time," a slow-burner that recalls the glory days of country-soul. Although each of these songs could be viewed as traditional from a certain angle, Childerss perspective and execution gives his music a freshness. This is a singer/songwriter whose honky tonk weeper is all about "Phone Calls and Emails" and decided to give "In Your Love," his sweetest ballad, a video depicting a romance between gay coal miners in the 50s: hes explicitly treating country music as a genre that evolves, one that can encompass all manners of stories by building upon whats already been laid at the foundation. With its empathetic heart and kinetic kick, Rustin in the Rain illustrates how vibrant and vital that idea can be. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine