Shawn Mullins

Shawn Mullins' knack for writing gritty, dust-caked narrative songs and wrapping them in bittersweet Americana has grown even richer over the years. "The Ballad of Kathryn Johnston" can stand tall next to Tom Petty's work while "See That Train" holds the entertaining spark of early Tom Waits and old transistor radio rock (think of the New Orleans classic "Working In Coal Mine"). Speaking of rock radio, stations should be playing the melodic, instantly catchy "Nameless Faces." While those songs are highlights, Honeydew is uniformly strong.