What RC has shown me is I roughly and quickly chop up country and country adjacent music into "I like it" and "maybe I do like everything except country?" The tie-in from The Wire gives this record cultural cred, but on its own, there's real strength in feel-good, but not too good, country/rock. Not too rock to miss it's definitely country, but not too country to roll my eyes. The rockiest songs are right at the top, in "Alright" and "Troubadour," and these are a fun time. I do feel alright. There's later variety in the grassy, wildly acronymed "CCKMP," the string-filled ballad "Valentine's Day," and of course plenty of real southern-ass songs like "Unrepentant," a bouncy "Billy and Bonnie," and duet closer "Your [sic?] Still Standin' There." So, generally, this album, I like it.
It's a real trip that this is an almost 30 year old album. It -does- sound that way on reflection, but I wouldn't have guessed if I didn't know. Shows how close to the pulse I am. Well hey, easy "feel alright" music for ~40 minutes; put it in the summer queue, that's alright with me.
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