Let Us In - Nashville (Reviver Music, 2011)

No matter your musical preferences, there are few songs as familiar to us as the songs of The Beatles and as a result, Beatles-related covers have the tendency to fall a bit flat. When covered in too straightforward of a manner, they are simply going to be shadows of the originals. However, new meaning can be brought to the music and lyrics when one deviates a bit from the original sound - so a country-tinged tribute to Paul McCartney's music has possibilities.

Happily, a few of the songs do offer new interpretations, venturing into bluesy country (Phil Vassar's "Lady Madonna") and country rock (Nikki Shannon Fernandez's "I Saw Her Standing There"). A bit of country twang also enlivens Jordyn Shellhart's beautiful "I Will" and Chuck Wicks' wonderful "No More Lonely Nights" - both songs that could've otherwise come off too saccharine. The only letdown is Heart of the Country - the original certainly has its fair share of whimsy, but Jeff Daniel's rendition is just overly goofy.

"Let Us In" is a fun and breezy effort that will please a wide variety of listeners and nicely mixes well- and lesser-known McCartney tunes. None of the songs are going to replace the original versions, but the album is a respectful tribute to one of music's important love stories.