Dave Gleason's Wasted Days

Telecaster master Dave Gleason's b-bending prowess shines like his band's rhinestone suits. The production on his third album is noticeably warmer and smarter than that of the first two. Some songs lean harder on the '60s nuggets of his record collection (dig the fuzz on "Right Back To Her Heart") and vintage Bakersfield honky-tonk ("Train Of Blue" could be a lost Merle Haggard song). Their take on "Rusty Ol' Halo" is hauntingly cool. Joe Goldmark's weepy pedal steel and legendary guest picker Albert Lee (of Hot Band fame) help make this album sound like an authentic gem from better, bygone days.