Wayne "The Train" Hancock / Church Of The Lazy Bastards/A-Train and the Steamers

Echoing the past while confronting the present, Wayne "The Train" Hancock embodies the classic style of straight-shooting songwriting. He plucks out jangling melodies on the guitar while his lyrics cut right to the chase. His newest album, Ride, is one of his strongest yet. On it, he explores the obstacles of everyday life. On tracks like "Lone Road Home," Hancock ponders existentialism and eternity in the simplest of ways. It's the kind of beauty in simplicity found in the good ol' boys of yesteryear. And yet, there's nothing false or inauthentic found in his music. Ride is an album of songs sung straight from the heart with a host of backing musicians that bring life to these tunes. A force to be reckoned with live, the man knows how to belt out a tune. (Patrick Stoops)