Warmth & Beauty [CD]

North Carolina singer-songwriter Thad Cockrell hails from the old school of country music, the days before Nashville went pop. "There's no 'alt' in my country," says Cockrell, who possesses a high-lonesome, wistful tenor voice. Although originally intended as a demo and not put into national distribution, his first release, Stack of Dreams (Miles of Music Recordings), was recorded at breakneck pace with veteran musician/producer Chris Stamey and received a strong international response from critics. Local artists Caitlin Cary and Tift Merritt appeared on the record as guest. Proving just how tightly knit the N.C. country scene is these days, Cockrell has enlisted two of Merritt's bandmates, The Carbines' Zeke Hutchins (drums) and Greg Readling (pedal steel), to record his Yep Roc debut, Warmth and Beauty. United with producer Chris Stamey (Caitlin Cary, Alejandro Escovedo), Warmth and Beauty is a showcase for Cockrell's songwriting and mountain spring-clear tenor; it's a collection of songs that resonate with a kind of passion you just don't find much anymore. "Warmth and Beauty" delivers a big ol' slab of heartache from a man whose motto is "puttin' the hurt back in country."

• Format: CD
• Genre: Country