It's nice to put in a disc by an artist I don't know and find a little treasure.  Kyle Hutton's Texas real country sound is immediately friendly and comforting to anyone who's seeking that sure-enough honky-tonk feel.  Texas has been giving country music some grand boys playing that good music, and Kyle is another good 'un.  He stretches his tunes from the two-stepping sounds of "Livin' Here With You" to the southern-fried rock of "Edge Of The Country Side" and the gentle western waltz of "Cowboy Tears," a lament and tribute to the rodeo clown.  Then he really touches the heart with his closing track, "One Nation Over God." 

Hutton infuses a bunch of styles into his brand of Texas country, including a little Bob Wills-style swing in addition to that foot-tapping honky-tonk.  He knows how to put his own real life and emotions into each of his songs, touching on childhood memories or adult love and loss.  Backed by some of those great Texas musicians, such as Ken Reynolds, Lloyd Maines, Paul Pearcy, Roger Creager, Glen Fukunaga, Terri Hendrix, and Riley Osborne, Hutton finds his voice spectacularly in this, his second album, more than perfectly produced by Lloyd Maines and presented on River Bend Recordings.

As Kyle Hutton finds his voice, he's going to join the ranks of the truly great real country acts coming out of Texas. He draws from not only the greats of the past, but current greats, as well (he lists Steve Earle and Radney Foster as influences); he has shared the stage with Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen, and he's just about ready to put his name right up there with theirs.  His songs are largely self-penned, and they're strong, solid songs. 

Standout tracks Cowboy Tears, Livin' Here With You, Edge Of The Country Side, This Ol' House

Last Word Solid, unpretentious, good ol' country music; traditional without being exceptionally hardcore, these songs are what would have been considered terrifically radio-worthy in the  early 90's but are likely "too country" for today.  A definite keeper.

On the Net: www.kylehutton.com