Bukka Allen – Confidante (Bloodline)
Best known as the son of Lubbock mafioso Terry Allen, Bukka Allen has long been an in-demand sideman who's worked with the Bodeans, Joe Ely, and Jack Ingram, while anchoring Austin instrumental trio and label Screen Door Music. Being this busy doesn't allow for much time as a solo artist, and Confidante, his second disc, was seven years in the making. It's filled with songs dark and beautiful, music that recalls the Southern gothic side of Tom Petty and the cinematic sweep of Alejandro Escovedo. His father's influence is most evident on the brooding stomp of the title track, but the epic "World of Pretend" and the shadowy "Cadillac Hotel" prove unique to the younger Allen's musical sensibilities. While Confidante feels mostly like a work of art, Allen never takes himself too seriously, and his distinctive flavor emerges, one that haunts long after its final chord has been rung.