Mabelle (HighTone, 2003)
Ben Atkins
Reviewed by Jeffrey B. Remz
But he's also not afraid to get a bit of help. Backing vocals from Carol Young add a nice touch on "I Don't Want to Hide" and the revved-up "You Pulled Me Down." Musically, he mixes it up with fiddle and mandolin ("I Don't Want to Ride") and goes for a much harder edge on a cover of Kasey Chambers' "Last Hard Bible" and the fast-paced "You Pulled Me Down" with lots of pedal steel from Lloyd Maines and sure-handed drumming from Rick Richards.
There's certainly enough musical diversity here without being guilty of being a dilettante, and Atkins benefits from being able to pen a lot of solid songs.The references are readily available on Atkins debut, but he also puts his own stamp on the music for a top quality musical meal.
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