Country, Vol. 2: Country Gospel 1929-1946
is another volume of early recordings exploring the roots of American music put out by French label
Fremeaux & Associes
; but where most of their other collections focused on early black
spirituals
, this one focuses on white artists such as
Roy Acuff
,
Hank Williams
Bill Monroe
, and
the Carter Family
. Again,
has put together a nice collection focusing not only on the bigger names mentioned above, but also lesser-knowns like
Carson Robinson
the Armstrong Twins
Molly O'Day
Carl Story
. As the collection's title suggests, this compilation is filled with
country gospel
, which tends to be less uplifting than the
that found a home on the label's previous compilations. The music here occasionally takes a glass-half-empty approach to spirituality, such as in
Jimmie Davis
' performance of
"There's Evil in Ye Children"
and
's
"The Drunken Driver,"
which evokes the dark Bible belt impression of the Southern United States and parallels the arc of murder
ballads
associated with the same place and time in U.S. history. ~ Gregory McIntosh