"After Awhile"

Aside from the clever bluegrass rave-up “My Mind’s Got A Mind of Its Own” (written by Gilmore’s longtime pal and collaborator Butch Hancock), this album features only Gilmore originals. The backing band is led by Stephen Bruton, the journeyman picker and longtime running buddy of Kris Kristofferson. Bruton and the rest of the band — including Tish Hinojosa and other mainstays of the Austin scene — make After Awhile feel like a gentle, late-night jam session. Nothing rushed, nothing forced, and no jagged edges. Gilmore’s signature warble is matched here with warm acoustics and lulling rhythms. He is able to embody the most timeless elements of country music — especially the poignancy and wisdom of Hank Williams — but Gilmore exudes a level of faithfulness and sincerity rarely found in any genre. “Treat Me Like A Saturday Night” and “Don’t Be a Stranger to Your Heart” are statements of true love, but “Story of You” is more: “Love I am alone and I am not afraid / To walk this world with anyone and never walk it crying / To live my life with all the world and never live it lying.” Country music has never had a humbler vow.