To Be Loved

On his third solo project, Thad Cockrell moves away from traditional country towards more alternative folk/pop sounds without losing his natural Southern charm. To Be Loved boasts a sparkling, multi-layered sound, built around warm-toned acoustic instruments and accented by old-fashioned reverb. Cockrell’s grasp on the singer/songwriter’s art has never sounded more assured. “Pride (Won’t Get Us Where We’re Going)” and “A Country of My Own” are natural anthems for thoughtful seekers everywhere. “Beauty Has a Name” finds Cockrell applying his guileless tenor to a straight-out love song with winning results. His explicitly Christian tunes are deeply personal expressions that draw upon traditional hymnody and classic country sounds for inspiration. The Southwestern-tinged “The Master’s Calling” and the plaintive “Oh to Be Loved” suggest the otherworldly ache of the Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison. The sense of wide-eyed wonder infusing “Great Rejoicing” typifies To Be Loved as a whole.