Midnight in Mississippi

Blue Mountain's 'Midnight in Mississippi' features songs called "Groove Me" & "70s Song", and a neater summation of the album's sound cannot be found. Smooth, mellow country rock with just a little twang, 'Midnight in Mississippi' is a bit slicker in approach than this long-running alt-country band's early albums, closer in spirit to Firefall than to Wilco. But this newly retro approach is so cleverly incorporated into husband-and-wife Cary Hudson & Laurie Stirratt's songs that it never sounds awkward or forced. The smooth, Eagles-like harmonies and lush string arrangements on tracks like "Pretty Please" sound like a loving re-creation of the glory days of California soft rock, while more uptempo songs like "Emily Smiles" hew closer to the Mississippi band's alt-country roots.

Blue Mountain: Cary Hudson (vocals, guitar); Laurie Stirratt (vocals, bass instrument); Frank Coutch (drums).