| Whoever helped convince this man to make a CD, thank you. Laderoute’s voice is a mix of Johnny Cash and Stompin’ Tom. He also plays beautiful acoustic guitar. The backup singers and musicians (mandolin and fiddle in particular) add depth to that already great sound.
This is a solid collection of country music. It could be because of his wealth of material and experience, it could be the simple and yet universal stories he tells in his songs like “Lonesome without you”. I love the idea of the words behind “A River I Know”, reflecting on us passing over and passing through the river.
I feel that labeling this CD country may be doing it a disservice, but that’s the genre it’s closest to, and while it’s not completely country, it’s definitely not new country. It’s got heart, a talent pool of good musicians and a spirituality in the simple messages of each song. These melodies and lyrics will happily rest with you a while.
I look forward to the day I can see Michael Laderoute play in person.
Sue Bullas – September 06
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