Like Rhett Miller, Jason Horowitz has a knack for flavoring his country-pop songs with playful humor. You can hear it on "Happy," the rollicking twang tune that declares, "I only drink when I'm happy/It just so happens I'm happy a lot."
Horowitz's deftness at transitioning to songs about love and regret recalls Miller, too. "Colorado" gets nostalgic for a loved one who's about to leave. The chorus offers sing-along catharsis: "Come on in, one more beer, who knows the next time we'll be here."
Brett Wilfrid's dexterous mandolin helps smooth the album's changing moods. The backing vocal harmonies of Jen Wilfrid and Chantelle Thomas add sensuality to songs like "Glow."
Horowitz grew up in Milwaukee and moved to Madison after college and post-college years spent in Massachusetts and Nashville. That's a big boost for the little music scene thriving here in the middle of America.