Free State Serenade [LP]

Former BR5-49 frontman Chuck Mead returns with his third solo effort, and his first collection of fresh material since 2009's Journeyman's Wager. On Free State Serenade, Mead delivers a flavorful set of songs that waver between rootsy old-school country and bracing rock & roll, with most tunes delivering a little bit of both. Mead's songs deal with everything from true love and good times to killers on the run, bandits in the Civil War, and UFOs on the highway. Another top-notch effort from Mead, Free State Serenade also features his former BR5-49 bandmate Don Herron on fiddle and banjo. ~ Mark Deming