Step Right Up [CD]

Charlie Robison's follow-up to his surprise hit debut Life of The Party confirms several things: he and his brother Bruce are great story telling songwriters in the tradition of John Prine and Steve Earle; the previous album was no fluke; and his music is about as far removed from the Nashville norm at the dawn of the 21st century as it's possible to be and still be legally considered a country artist (the steel guitar on the stone country "The Wedding Song" notwithstanding).