From A Room: Volume 2

Chris Stapleton has been one of the most refreshing and exciting artists to top the country music charts in many a long year. A seasoned songwriter who also led the great Steeldrivers he more than paid his dues watching his songs turning into smashes for artists as varied as Adele, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Dierks Bentley. The fact is that Stapelton is an equal to every one of these and with "Traveller" proved that he could surpass them. When it comes to the quality of his voice he is the real deal.In 2017 he has released two new albums under the title of "From a Room". The latest is Volume 2 and his impressive quality control is on full display. The songs are uniformly good although the listener does ponder if the two volumes condensed into a single album might have made for a more coherent product. His specialty is the country ballad infused with pain and heartache and “Nobody's Lonely Tonight,” he has composed a bluesy slow burning classic. Best of all is "Scarecrow in the Garden' about a family with roots in Northern Ireland settling in West Virginia which has a lovely Appalachian feel to it. Some songs like "Millionaire" will be crowd pleasers but don't really stretch the Stapleton formula too far. Much better is the "Drunkards Prayer" an acoustic lament where Stapleton's vocal really is top notch. "Trying to untangle my mind" is one of those "women and whiskey" tales which Stapleton has made a trademark although this reviewer much prefers the echoes of James Taylor on "Simple Song""From a Room, Vol 2" is every bit the equal of its predecessor although not quite hitting the heights of "Traveller". This is is not a big deal since the latter was so good it sets the benchmark for all his work. Some have very unfairly called Stapleton a "bargain-basement Bob Seger". This is so wide of the mark. He is a massively talented singer-songwriter and one of the best things to happen in country music since Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser cut their seminal "The Outlaws" album back in 1976. A tour of the UK would also be timely at some point.

What's not to love about this album. Just like the two previous this is a great mix of country, southern rock and blues. Chris just keeps getting better and besides only 9 songs (short) it doesn't overstay its welcome. All great and no fillers.Millionaire - 9/10Hard Livin - 9/10Scarecrow in the Garden - 9/10Nobody’s Lonely Tonight - 9/10Tryin’ to Untangle My Mind - 10/10A Simple Song - 8/10Midnight Train to Memphis - 10/10Drunkard’s Prayer - 9/10Friendship - 9/10Go buy, you won't regret it.

What more can you say this man is country. His voice, his guitar playing, his composition. It's all country music at its best. If you listen to country radio you would've heard some of the songs already they played often. If you've only had a couple of his songs I would highly recommend buying from a room volume one and two. I believe these albums will go down as classics.

Another great album from Chris Stapleton.I particularly love "Scarecrow in the garden" a tale of the overlooked difficulties of third generation emigrants when the going gets rough. Imho this should become a folk classic in the likes of Liam Reilly's Streets of New York

Love all three of his CDS bought recently. Fantastic !! Morgane's voice is brilliant too. Bet people are sitting up and taking note. Every single track is a gem. Can't stop playing them. Great musicianship too. Well and truly hooked !

Great album, only problem is the dowload code supplied with the vinyl is only available for USA, not valid for UK.

Great voice and great songwriting. Not a master of the country/rock scene (as the Desert Rose Band or the Blue Rodeo used to be...), but surely outstanding.

Superb album, I could listen to it over and over again. You won't be disappointed! What a talented man Chris is!