Beat the Band

Some singer/songwriters take years to accumulate enough quality songs for one album. That's not Tim Easton. The Midwesterner released two full discs -- one acoustic, one electric -- on the same day, and says he has enough material written for more. As its title implies, this one features a full rock band supporting him on a terrific batch of heartland ballads and rockers. Upbeat selections, such as the propulsive "Open Letter," ride a driving drumbeat and a cool riff any major act would kill for. Even though this is a self-produced affair on his own label (severing a decade-plus relationship with New West, where he didn't sell many albums but got consistently favorable reviews), it's professional sounding with a full but never slick approach that enhances already sturdy songs. Recorded in a Nashville studio during a five-day stint with a band named the Freelan Barons, Easton seems loose and in the moment, taking his time on the ballad "She Takes Her Time," and finding a rootsy '70s gro