Stout is an obvious devotee of a number of different ’50s roots musical styles. You hear country twang, but it was early Sun stylists who left the strongest mark on this West Coast stringer.

This is fun stuff – tube amps, old wood, great clothes, and never-ending I-IV-V chord variations. This approach to retro roots in an age of looping and digital aural imaging, is a breath of musical fresh air. From the original artists in the ’50s and early ’60s to Dave Alvin in the ’80s and Mike Henderson in the ’90s to perhaps Darrin Stout in the millennium there will hopefully always be players of this caliber and integrity to stop us in our tracks. Available from Stout Records PO Box 3493 Burbank, CA 91508.