Years as a reviewer taught me this: if Andrew Osenga is producing- stop, drop, and listen. Actually, the whole crew behind Kevin Lawson's "Nashville to Jesus" is stellar.
Kevin Lawson gathered up some of my favorite Nashville players for his superb “Nashville to Jesus,” from Osenga on guitars, keys and trombone, to the always noteworthy Ben Shive on piano, to a singer new to me but definitely an asset, Butch Walker. Together they perform the heck outta Lawson’s charming, earthy rockers and a good time was had by all.
Things start off nicely with the howling opener, the country-flaired rocker “Follow Me,” Lawson’s bluesy vocals over some sterling strings. His tones are warmer and remarkably open over the throbbing bass of “Only You,” a song of testimony that pierced my own heart as I listened. The bouncy pop-rocker “Joined at the Heart” is a sharp turn left, but I like the unexpected. Speaking of unexpected, don’t miss Osenga’s brief trombone sighting mid-track.
Lawson has a very romantic heart, it seems, and I enjoyed the ebullient post-argument rocker “Couldn’t Find the Words”; or maybe I’ve just been married too long. It’s a good-time rocker, and Butch Walker’s backing vocals only sweetened the pot. It’s Beatles-time for “Goodness Gracious” and then much sweetness and light on the lovely lullaby, “Little One.”
I tend to be drawn to the down-and-dirty so the poignant “Storm” rang very true for me, a moving tale of that unconditional love we always hear so much about. There’s a lot of beauty in this track, including Osenga’s baritone guitar, and Lawson’s powerful lyrics: “You’re the grandest of trainwrecks/and the sweetest of lies/You’re a walking contradiction/full of Scripture and alibis.” It might be an indicator of the chaos of my own life, but I totally got this song, and found much encouragement in it. I greatly enjoyed also the lilting and lovely “One Who Does,” and the romantic “Once Upon a Dream,” which incidentally has Osenga’s fingerprints all over it. I liked too the way the album is book-ended by howlers, closing as it does with the raw, bluesy “Tell You Somethin’.” Think the Beatles meet Jesus. Great way to go out.
I’ll be honest. Reviewing music doesn’t bring in the bucks. But as long as I get to run across nuggets of gutsy talent, humor, and heart like Kevin Lawson, you won’t hear me complaining. Get thee to his website, quickly, for this one.
