When the Money's All Gone (Smith, 2009)

Texan Jason Eady has paid his dues, hitting the road and fine tuning many songs which appear on his latest release. Following up his successful "Wild Eyed Serenade," Eady was blessed with fellow musician Kevin Welch to produce this. Eady has the innate ability to utilize his rich powerful vocals to draw you into his music. His lyrics flow effortlessly, further painting a captivating picture.

Kicking off the record is the southern gospel number God Fearin" Blues. This soulful number sets the tone for the entire record, as Eady mixes country and folk with a dose of southern blues. Together, that forms a potent combination.

Eady is also joined by members of The Band of Heathens, who contribute some very energetic background vocals on the opening song, plus the uplifting Evangeline. Walt Wilkins helps Eady with the writing on the title cut.

When you can successfully serve up a raucous religious number such as Judgment Day, follow that up with the touching Cry Pretty and be equally adept with each, you have something. Eady skillfully cuts through genres with ease. He even flashes brilliance with the haunting Watering Hole and the story of a regretful criminal on the run in Promises In Pieces.

In order to stand out in such a state as Texas, it helps to be different. Few artists can mix genres and flow so well.