Driving Toward the Sun

Had Susan James kept up her early momentum and not taken years off to raise her child, her name might be mentioned in the same breath as many other front-line alt-country singer/songwriters. Her talent is definitely there. Here, producer Ryan Ulyate (Tom Petty, ELO) stacks up the backing band with legendary drummer Don Heffington (Buddy Miller, Jayhawks), guitarist Neal Casal (Ryan Adams), and pedal steel man Eric Heywood (Son Volt, Richard Buckner) and lets James roll. Right from the sunlight in the hotel room of the opening title track, the journey to pick apart a relationship begins. Of course, the relationship is just a symbol of a greater self-analysis. "U-Haul in the Driveway" keeps an upbeat groove and a sunny melody, but the lyrics are pure devastation: "Goodbye to the two young dreamers/I'll curse this day for all my life." The travels lead to some reconciliations and a sense of hope in the soothing sound of "Mission Bells," beautifully supported by Heywood's warm, atmospheric pedal steel.