Presenting the Great Unknowns (Daemon, 2004)

After a few listens, you'll be asking yourself where these musical messiahs were hiding. With lush harmonies and accomplished instrumentation, the Great Unknowns romp and roll through 10 tracks that titillate your inner being; these raw Americana compositions make the perfect traveling companion for a long car trip.

Becky Warren fronts this alt.-country band of merry music troubadours. With a voice that echoes Lucinda Williams with its gritty, passionate, well-deep delivery, the talented songsmith wrote or co-wrote all the songs on this debut. The storied songs evoke a sense of time and place - conjuring up images of a life spent chasing the white line down the highway through titles such as "Las Vegas," "Round Hill," "Abilene" and "1000 Miles of Tennessee." The opener "Las Vegas" captures the essence of this larger than life city of pomp, glitz and shattered dreams with these poetic lines: "We come to Las Vegas/with our dreams 10 feet tall/We leave here as shadows if we get out at all."

Warren's lyrics showcase a natural born storyteller, and you'll find yourself returning again and again to these tales. If this dazzling debut is any indication, the Great Unknowns won't be much longer.