(Blind Nello) Kevin Deal's always been known for his gift of clever songwriting and the edgy characters that inhabit the subject matter of his songs. He now returns with his fourth album, Lawless, which proves to be his strongest effort yet. Produced by Lloyd Maines, who also contributes musical backing on every track (playing everything from steel to banjo to guitar, and then some), with harmony vocals by Terri Hendrix, Lawless explores the world of gamblers, outlaws, drifters, wayward and lost souls. Lawless combines the sounds of the old west, delta blues, a dash of honky tonk and Appalachia, with a few more off beat melodies. The album contains 10 strong originals and 3 outstanding covers.

Several of the songs on Lawless are decidedly "western," with tales of characters from the dusty and violent old west. The disc opens with the vividly chilling tale of a grizzled, mean and deadly gambler, the very last person you'd want to be sitting across from at the poker table, in "Quicker Than The Eye." The title track "Lawless" explores a young man gone bad for the thrill of it, and looks for the reasons some people choose that path. The haunting ballad, "Freedom For Mary," penned by Max Stalling, is as outstanding as it is moving. Kevin's weary vocals portray a wounded, captured outlaw who begs his lover to set them both free by telling her where he's hidden his stash and his gun, so she can take the money to start a new life and asks her to bring his gun to him, so he can end his own life. Terri Hendrix's great harmony adds an even greater depth to the pain of the lyrics. "Pick 'Em To Win" also deals with gamblers, both the kind that gamble for money, and the kind that gamble in life with their choices. "Pieces Of My Life" has a western flavor, though the poignant lyrics reflecting on the past and a lifetime of regret are timeless.

Kevin perfectly captures the despair of a young man who's beckoned to leave home by the irresistible call of the train whistle, only to later wind up haunted by the train's whistle from inside his prison cell, in Hank William's "Lonesome Whistle Blow." The fatalistic, Appalachian tinged "Gideon" tells the tale of a coal miner and a Bible who's writings he rejects as being fairy tales. The uptempo, heavily delta blues inflected "You Ain't Nobody" is about not giving up, despite having doors slammed in your face. The footstomping "Back Slidin' Man" provides more delta blues in this song about a character that knows right from wrong, but chooses 'wrong' because it's more exciting- until he gets caught by the law and then has a change of heart. The third cover on Lawless is a deliciously swampy blues cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Mississippi Kid," where Kevin's mandolin-guitar-steel player Freddie Spears gets a chance to step out front and takes over on lead vocals.

"Diesel" is a honky tonkin' truckers song, about a tired, road weary trucker who's ready to pack it in, only to return home to find his wife decided to pack it in first. The outstanding "Asleep At The Wheel" is a dark, haunting song with a menacing melody, that moves through vignettes which explores and questions what pushes people through their lives. The disc closes with the offbeat melody of "Road To Ruin," that ties together all the themes that run through the rest of the album, what draws some people down the path to self-destruction.

Kevin Deal keeps getting better and better with each release. He's a strong songwriter who fleshes out his songs and characters with great detail and brings them to vivid life. He's become a captivating storyteller, both on his own originals and covers, and has surrounded himself with first rate musicians that add colorful and rich textures to his stories. Lawless is an outstanding effort in the vein of Billy Joe Shaver, both hard scrabble and heartfelt.

www.kevindeal.com