Over the course of the last decade Reckless Kelly has carved out their own niche within the Texas/roots rock scenes with their unique brand of tunes.  Often inspired by legendary outlaw country singer/songwriter Pinto Bennett (who was also an early supporter of Reckless Kelly), the band decided to give thanks to Bennett by recording a complete album of his songs. 

Titled Somewhere In Time the album collects 12 of Pinto Bennett’s best songs and giving them new life to a wider audience who (like me) may not know who Pinto Bennett is.  The standout tracks on the record include the rollicking Raul Malo-like “Bird On A Wire,” the epic story song “The Ballad of Elano DeLeon,” “Somewhere In Time,” “Idaho Cowboy,” and the shuffling and swinging steel-guitar laced “I’ve Done Everything I Could Do Wrong.”  Each track finds gifted singers Cody and Wily Braun weaving these strong stories over melodies that rip through meat and potatoes rock and country sonic textures. 

Somewhere In Time isn’t a record that fans of bands like Lady Antebellum or other mainstream fare will like as much but it is one of the strongest traditional country music leaning records one’s likely to find in stores and online this year.