Be not afraid. Mile Markers by Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash is not the soundtrack to Aunt Edna's covert line-dancing ops at the Iron Horse Saloon. This is good country. Mellifluous, melodious, easy on the ears and heavy on the heart; it's where the best of country music always meant to go before it got sidetracked by private jets, monster stadium tours, and the incredible weirdness that was Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines. And it's got steel pedal to die for. What more could you want?
San Diego's Mark Stuart and his Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash know how to fashion a truly fine album of beautifully crafted, lovingly wrought songs. And they should know how; Stuart has worked hard enough at it, changing line-ups and working with talented musicians, and cultivating a devoted base of fans with relentless touring on the backs of his band's previous albums, Walk Alone (2001) and Distance Between (2002). With songs about old cars, old homesteads, and trains that wail low in the distance, Stuart captures something wild and lonely with his music. Mile Markers is an exceptional album, and it surpasses expectations that were bloody high to begin with.
Stuart and company draw on a variety of influences and traditions - some older than others - while keeping things fresh and original. The simplicity of working-man odes like "Road to Bakersfield" and "California Sky" makes you think of Steve Earle and maybe even a little of The Boss, but these songs are pure Bastard. Sure, there's the barest of steps towards cliché with "Borderline of the Heart", but this up-tempo song is so darn catchy and infectious that you find yourself not caring anyway.
"Radio Girl" and "Pride of Abilene," with their poignant simplicity and wistful longing, showcase Stuart's rich velvety baritone at its silky best. "No Easy Road" evokes those classic traveling songs set to the rhythm of a train beat. It's an endless path Stuart sets you on, with these timeless tales of restless travel, in search of things you didn't even know you needed. And it's a thoughtful touch that the liner notes include Stuart's ideas about what inspired him and what he was trying to achieve in each case.
Like its predecessors, Mile Markers focuses more on the sentiments than circumstances, and is destined to be a soundtrack for long trips down deserted (and not so deserted) highways. But there's been a reckoning somewhere along the way. This album is mellower and more mature than Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash's previous work. It's a seasoned effort, perhaps less about new discoveries than about the care-worn and much-loved memories of them. Spiritual touches flow through the songs; the sincere kind that can only come from scrabbling through life and scraping your knees on the way, and finding out that maybe you can go home again.
This mixture of the old and the new, of sentiment and substance, is a fine balance to strike, but Stuart does it with considerable ability and sincerity. Fans of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and David Allen Coe will definitely want to check this out. It'll mean more to you if you've got some taste for the grizzly old bears of the genre, but can stand on its own merits just fine. This isn't your granddaddy's country, but he'd be pretty darn proud if it was.
