Great Country Music album which I enjoyed it, my favorite songs are THESE DAYS and WILLIE´S SONG but the complete cd is nice, Thanks so much BRAD
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Great country music! A+ on "Till We  Get it Right"
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Just by listening to West, it's hard to imagine that this Arkansas native is only 20 years of age. With a wild turkey twang of John Anderson edged with a rebellious streak of Hank Williams, West has a seasonal depth that most only acquire after decades of singing in those smoke-filled honky tonks. Such a true-to-life vocal is even made more poignant by the choice of songs: most of which presents realistic slices of small town American life. Generally, the production by Michael Callahan is top-notched with a bevy of rustic instruments such as dobro, steel, mandolin, playing side by side with more aggressive guitars and drums. Nevertheless, there is a traditional feel to the CD without being totally aloof from today's country. The only misgivings here being the awful cheesy- sounding electric guitars at the beginning of "Some Things Daddies Fix."

Despite his youthfulness, the tracks all deal with serious issues that matter such as family, politics, trains, down-home blues and romance. Most moving is West's tribute to his granddad on the uptempo "'Till I Get It Right." Despite having the odds stacked against him (such as a lack of education and opportunities), "'Till I Get It Right" is an inspirational ode of how West's grandfather persevered through life. Never one accused of being a sexist, West credits his grandmother's prayers as the guiding beacon for treading on the right path on the gentle Paul-Overstreet-esque ballad "Grandma's Wishes." God is the next that gets West's due respect on the Brad Paisley/Dolly Parton's number 1 hit "When I Get Where I'm Going." Unfortunately, West's version can never escape Paisley's hit version where West even has a Dolly-sounding backing vocalist doing Dolly's part.

Lest one thinks this is a maudlin project with tooth-decaying sweetness, West does step up to the palette of controversy with the daring "Big Mack Donald." Using the nursery rhyme "Old Mack Donald Had a Farm" as the template, "Big Mack Donald" is a satire of the current decadence of Americana when he sings, "Politicians an' preachers once sometimes told the truth/We didn't throw war's first stone an' sacrifice our finest youth/With no video games or cell phones, a house felt like a home/Children fought an' played together instead of on a computer alone." "These Days," on the other hand, is a mournful lament of the struggling farming community over an achingly vulnerable ballad that just brims with potency. West does get away from the country-balladry for some swampy blues on "Down Home Country Blues"---something that ought to bring a smile to any Travis Tritt fan.

The rockish "Alright With Me" is perhaps the most commercial offering here, but sadly also the most mediocre. However, such is only a minor quibble; "Slow Train" on the whole is a compelling effort. Perhaps because the songs presented here are so real. They deal with everyday happenings of the joys and triumphs as well as the worries and failures of small town living. When listening to "Slow Train," it's hard not to empathize with its characters West paints and perhaps this is what country music is all about.
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Great Country Music, I especially like Grandma's Wishes
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