Here With You Tonight (DIR, 2006)

Dave Insley�s relocation from Arizona to Austin has focused and framed his dusty desert country sound as evidenced on his sophomore album. Like his excellent debut from last year, �Call Me Lonesome,� Insley lopes his way through Western swing, country, folk, Tex-Mex and gospel, sounding like he�s channeling the living spirit of Willie Nelson all the while.

Dare yourself not to think of the red-headed stranger when Insley rolls through the country gospel nod of �God Loves the Working Man� (and its pure Willie lyrical sentiment; �Jesus was a long hair and he wore those Roman sandals like no Okie would...�), the swing balladry of �You�re the One I Prefer� (a duet with promising newcomer Amanda Cunningham), or the traditional weep of �Cashed in My Old Life.�

For all his obvious Willie-isms, Insley�s success on both albums stem from his completely natural songwriting style and his limber performing chops, which is neither forced nor contrived to earn comparison. Besides, you don�t get name checked against one of the greatest songwriters on the planet without a whole lot of talent to back it up and Dave Insley�s got that and then some.