Say this for : when he landed a major-label deal, he decided to go big. Very, very big, as it turns out. is a whopping 34 songs, amounting to two hours and two minutes of music -- longer than any album this side of 's or . Like those two records, winds up reflecting its era. sprawled with over three LPs, filled out three CDs, and simply spills out, an endless playlist that sounds nearly as coherent on shuffle as in its released sequence. That's not a knock on the album so much as a description: it's a clearinghouse for everything the Red Dirt troubadour has completed, whether it's a rollicking rocker like "Whiskey Fever" or a lazily soulful rendition of the standard "You Are My Sunshine." Mostly, explores an earnest, heartfelt middle ground that feels like he's standing alone with an acoustic guitar even when he's fleshed out with other instruments. Often, feels like an heir to , the singer/songwriter at the core of , one of the key Red Dirt Americana bands of the 2010s. He writes directly but not plainly; his words are unfussy and melodies unadorned. On an individual basis, the songs are striking. Collectively, can be a little hard to digest, especially in one sitting: it's a little too much of a good thing, the sounds all bleeding together in an amiable fashion. Parse the songs out into user-constructed playlists, though -- or take it as a series of 20-minute EPs -- and it's hard not to be impressed with the sturdiness of 's music, how he keeps the dusty literary traditions of Red Dirt troubadours alive without affectation. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine