Dale Anne Bradley

What a voice! This authentic, invigorating shot of Kentucky bluegrass purity is no spring chicken with two previous solo records under her belt, so Alison had better pay heed and make some sound investments. The daughter of a Baptist minister, Dale Anne grew up singing in church but a chance brush with hearing some country tapes brought in from Detroit turned her head and set her course. With one foot in traditional and the other in modern storytelling, Bradley and her back-up band (who don’t come any tighter than this) are set to reinvigorate the public’s current love affair with post-Oh Brother bluegrass. Her penchant for cover tunes doesn’t take away from the strong material and three powerful originals. And, although the world doesn’t need a different take on groaners like "Me and Bobby McGee” and "I Can’t Stand the Rain,” Bradley breathes new life into both and convincingly reinvents them. Her own "Run Rufus Run” is a song-story and an album highlight, indicative of her preferred style. Minor missteps include the duet on "Pass Me Not” — but only because her voice has such power that no man dare match up to it. Her collaboration with Lunasa on the Irish-spiked "When the Mist Comes Along” — although clearly another album highlight — demonstrates her range and is convincingly haunting, yet it seems oddly out of place here. Like, that’s a crime. Catch Tomorrow today.