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That's a travesty that I'm about to do a small bit to correct. McMurtry may ring a bell with most folks because of his famous father, Larry, but James has done quite a bit to establish his own reputation as a guitarist/songwriter with Texas credibility, and St. Mary of the Woods, his latest album, just cements that rep. McMurtry uses the album to spin tales about assorted Texas-area lowlifes and rednecks whose idea of a market economy runs to crystal meth and bathtub gin, while also presenting a side of the "slow lane" that has appeal. The first song that really got me on the album was "Out Here in the Middle," with the opening lines: They broke into your car last night, took the stereo Now you say you don't know why you even live there anymore The garage man didn't see a thing, so you guess it was an inside job It's an invitation to the "middle," where tractor pulls and bar stools are the norm, not fancy restaurants and corporate politics. If the "middle" sounds appealing, it's got a fair share of shady characters. There are the aforementioned drug dealers, alcoholics, and an uncle who live across the state line in Oklahoma because he got kicked out of Texas. I can almost see the mullets on the characters when I listen to the songs. All these people inhabit a soundscape of clean, popping drum lines and guitar riffs that bring to mind the bluesy guitar styles of an earlier era.