Jesse Dayton – Raisin’ Cain

There’s a lot to be said for unabashed enthusiasm when making a record. In Jesse Dayton’s case, it makes the difference between just a solid country record and one that’s rather exceptional.

So what if his voice isn’t in the same league as the crooners right off the Nashville farm? Who cares if Doug Sahm, Flaco Jimenez, and Kenny Aronoff have all played better elsewhere? If his “Train Of Dreams” evokes Elvis’s “Mystery Train” almost note-for-note, well, why not start at the top? It’s the conviction that drips off of ballads like “Time To Go” and the fever pitch that burns inside of anthems like “Kissing Abilene Goodbye” and the title track that make his debut hold up to repeated listenings. The naivete of the Tex-Mex “Carmelita” is refreshing, and the excitement wrapped around the pick-up lines of “Angel Like You” show that Dayton might not yet have the skills the big-name artists have, but he more than makes up for it with eagerness and vigor.