Seconds Flat (Redbird/Green Linnet, 1997)

Hailing from South Carolina, Seconds Flat's self-titled debut is a winner. Produced by Brian Ahern (Emmylou Harris, George Jones, Johnny Cash, etc.), this disc offers impressive musicianship and thoughtful lyrics by Anthony Tomlinson and Larry Hoskinson, who also share lead vocals. (Ahern calls Tomlinson's tenor the "sweetest male voice" he has ever worked with.)

Pleasant melodies and harmonies rule throughout, with occasional rocking solos by Hoskinson that recall the Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris era work of James Burton. Bassist Rick Stapleton and drummer Jeff Hook provide solid rhythm, and session luminary Jerry Douglas cameos with dobro on "Murphy's Law" and slide guitar on the Bakersfieldesque "Me and My Friend Heartache." Other standout tracks include "Slow Dance Across the Moon" and "Walk Away." With influences that range from honky-tonk, the 70's outlaws, Dylan and even the Beatles, Seconds Flat is definitely worth checking out.