So, I’ve been following this cat called Tennessee Larue on twitter and Plus for a couple years and we’ve had some fun together. I’ve always dug his music. Last week, Tennessee sent me a few new tracks to check out and …

Damn! The cat lays it Down! Tennessee (Larry) Larue has a buttery voice that is undeniably country. I don’t think he tries at all, but the natural qualities of his vocal are somewhere between the “old” and “new” country sounds. Mark Chesnutt comes to mind and maybe Conway Twitty (see what I mean?).

I got three songs from a disc he’ll be putting out soon (and if he doesn’t, he’s gonna get a Tennessee whoopin’ laid on him). Each one of them showcases Larry’s talent in a different manner.

“Let Me Down Easy” is a beautiful ballad with the requisite tender vocals and resonating feelings. It can be hard for a writer to make the old story of “she’s leaving” sound like it happened “today.” Larry pulls it off! Oh, an d going to the minor 6th on the second chord… cool move man, it works really well.

Remember that swampy groove that Black Oak Arkansas thrilled the world with? OK, maybe I’m old… Remember that tune about “old Red” the dog that broke the guy out of prison? Larue cops it perfectly in his rendition of “Everybody Feels the Blues.” Great guitar and sweet emotion in the vocal combine with flawless production for a winner.

A little bit of the Chicago blues sound comes in on “Somebody Else.” I just love a clean strat through tubes; what can I say? It’s a short burner and kicks A**!

Tennessee Larue lays it on the line with every song, here’s a sample of one of my favorite songs. Larry did this traditional 3/4 gospel in 4/4 time – very cool!