Good News (Rounder, 2007)

Though an alumnus of Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys as lead singer for the better part of a decade, Charlie Sizemore does not confine his repertoire solely to a mountain or high lonesome sound. While this recording is assuredly bluegrass, it also toggles back and forth with classic sounding country tunes, such as "I Won't Be Far From Here" or "Blame It On Vern."

Sizemore delivers convincingly. In reality a successful attorney, one would swear he'd spent his entire adult life playing country shows in tough roadhouses where chicken wire protects the band from patrons who throw beer bottles at the stage.

In spite of worldly success, Sizemore ain't forgot where he came from. He can do bluegrass numbers or drinking/cheating songs as well as anyone, but is at his best poking self depreciating fun at the ironies of country wisdom. Lines like, "I'm starting to think, the less that I drink..." will bring back memories of '50s songs crackling over AM country radio.

This is authentic bluegrass/country music. The tunes are cleverly written and delivered with professional precision. One wishes Mr. Sizemore would hit the road full time. Alas, as they say on the internet, though, "Real musicians have day jobs."