Phosphorescent - To Willie

In an echo of Willie Nelson's own To Lefty From Willie where he paid homage to one of his idols, Lefty Frizell, by reinterpreting a collection of his favourite Frizell songs, so too has Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent) paid tribute to Nelson. 11 solid renditions make for an enjoyable listen. Houck already has a considerable reputation as an alt-country artist and this project will do him no harm. There's enough of a contemporary twist on the material to make this seem worthwhile, though the songs are decades old and thus it does sound unavoidably dated at times despite Phosphorescent's best efforts. Stand-out track is almost certainly Walkin', where some sublime slide-guitar comes closest to raising goosebumps. I Gotta Get Drunk is also a rambunctious burst of bar-room fighting music as guys in plaid shirts slide along the bar and topless dancers crack empty bottles over truckers' heads. [Chris Cusack]