Steve Holy

Six years after debuting with 2000's Blue Moon, Steve Holy greets 2006 with one hell of a comeback album. Brand New Girlfriend begins with the title-track, an incredibly witty single that is as catchy as it is funny (well, his ex-girlfriend may not find it so funny). Holy still grinds the true grit of new traditional country music, but songs like "A Cliff in Colorado" boast ballad-singing skills that are rich in both sentiment and story telling narratives. The two bonus songs at the end of the album are true treats, especially the tear-in-beer "All for the Love of Sunshine."