Turnin' It Loose
BRETT McMULLEN
(BrettMcMullen.com)
Clearwater's Brett McMullen makes annual trips to Nashville, rounds up the city's top session musicians and records albums that sound every bit as polished and sweet as anything enjoying airplay on commercial country radio. On his latest, Turnin' It Loose, there's a stellar bluegrass bent courtesy of the exceptional mandolin, banjo and fiddle playing of Wanda Vick. McMullen delivers his self-penned lyrics with all the twangy warmth of your favorite contemporary Nashville star. The twist is that rather than singing about hot women and honky-tonkin', McMullen's records "are for the glory of God." Yes, it's a Christian album, but the dogma is minimal, making it accessible almost anyone who subscribes to the Golden Rule. 4 stars
This article appears in Oct 31 – Nov 6, 2007.