CCMusic.com

When singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Randall Bramblett began compiling the songs that would eventually make up his twelfth and newest studio album, Pine Needle Fire, it wasn't with any particular musical or lyrical direction in mind. But viewed through the lens of the dozen tracks on the now completed set, it's apparent there was a theme there all along. A lot of time has passed. Throughout Pine Needle Fire, Bramblett provides a clear-eyed and engagingly detailed study of lives conservative and crooked, loves resilient and vanished and moments that have passed and are also yet to come. He expresses these stories in a voice that is gruff and resolute, but also sympathetic and flecked with just the right amount of southern charm and whimsy. With Pine Needle Fire, Bramblett continues to channel his singular voice and unique storytelling approach and experiences into something insightful, tuneful and incredibly soulful.