Regular Columnists

Artist: Robin Dean Salmon
Album: Gasoline
CD Review: Making a solid contribution to the Americana genre, is singer-songwriter and guitarist Robin Dean Salmon, with his seventh album "Gasoline". Recorded in Nashville by Eric Fritch, and produced by the artist himself, they manage to get the most out of every tune, as almost every track sounds like it would sit comfortably on country radio.

The album "Houston Kid" by Rodney Crowell (who sings on the CD's first single "Maybe I Do"), was a major instigator in Salmon's latest musical direction, and he clearly draws well on those lessons. There's a good mix of rockers and ballads, with strong playing and cool instrumentation throughout, most notably the pedal steel of Al Perkins, who wisely gets frequently featured. However, what Salmon tends to do, and quite effectively, is combine instruments to create a sound that is sympathetic to the song. This is illustrated on the CD's strongest cut, "When You Have it All", where fiddle and pedal steel work together to flesh out the ache of lost brotherhood, matched by Salmon's voice in a John Prine shade.

While most of "Gasoline" rests on the pop side of country, some more traditional country flavor comes out on the songs "Draw the Line", the fiddle blazing "Plane, Train" and the sweet-picking workout of "Still in Love with You".

The CD may lack a bona fide blockbuster type single, the title-track being the most likely suspect, but Robin Dean Salmon's "Gasoline" starts out strong and doesn't let up.

For more information on Robin Dean Salmon, or to purchase "Gasoline", visit:
www.robindeansalmon.com