Moving On (Bonus Track Version)

The lead track here, “Ramblin Kind,” is a straight-up honky-tonk rock anthem with an outlaw spirit that everyday Americans can relate to. Like Donahew’s preceding albums, 2009’s Moving On wasn’t mixed by Nashville producers, nor was it released on a major label. And although Donahew’s songwriting has improved with better mapped arrangements, tighter musicianship and melodies catchier than a cactus garden, he still plays the kind of red-dirt Texas twang that introduced his first album, Lost Days. Even his more moving ballads like “Breaks My Heart,” and pensively reflective numbers like “California,” are built on a rootsy foundation of traditional instruments and tube-burning Telecaster leads that flirt with old school Southern rock. More upbeat songs like “Burn This House Down” and the bonus track “Moving On” manage to recall ‘90s alt-country without sounding derivative. Moving On plays with the intimacy of watching a live house-band while knocking back cold beers at your favorite old saloon.