' final album for , 2007's , flirted more with neo-traditional country than any of his previous records did; it was almost schizophrenic, trying to balance his rock & roll side with his pedigree. After leaving the label, he formed , a post-psych, near metal outfit which recorded the conceptual , released independently to marginal acclaim. But ' country roots ran too deep to remain there; it was a question of time before he returned in earnest. Ironically, after working so hard to establish himself as a hard-rocking, hell-raising outlaw worthy of his dad's pedigree, it's the country music on that really gives listeners a deep, wide, appreciation of who is as an artist. He moved to New York and it appears to have cleared his vision. He and pianist formed , the absolutely killer backing band on . They cut this album in a Soho studio; the end result is ' most bona fide "country" record to date, though it contains many surprises. As evidenced by the radio and video success of the album's first single, "The Deed & the Dollar," a love song, it has commercial viability without the production excesses of contemporary country. Everything -- guitars, mandolins, pedal steel, fiddle, drums, piano, vocals -- sounds natural and uncompressed. The songwriting on is tighter than anything has offered us previously; it too is organic. "The Long Road Ahead" (with guitar help from , and mandolin and backing vocals from bandmember ) is modern neo-trad country at its best. "The Southern Family Anthem," a hard rocking, rebellious, anthemic stomper (and a dead cross between at their loudest and ), is the album's exception, but it works better as rock & roll than anything his peers -- , , etc. -- have on offer. "Daddy's Hands" moves back the other way: it's a tender, bittersweet reminiscence of family that almost anybody can relate to. "The Black Dog" is Southern Gothic storytelling at its best, inspired by a short story set during the Civil War. Album-closer "Born Again" marries a sophisticated story line to an equally savvy melody. 's backing harmony vocal and fiddle playing add drama and texture. On can assert his pedigree musically without having to mention it. It's obvious he's grown and matured as both a songwriter and a producer, and this is the finest moment in his catalog thus far. ~ Thom Jurek