Blame The Vain

Although he doesn’t move records by the truckload the way he used to, Dwight Yoakam hasn’t lost a step. Not even close. Every new record he puts out is merely a reminder of his nearly unrivaled ability to churn out rollicking country music without regard to the whims of commercial fashion. Blame The Vain finds him doing whatever he wants and doing it well. The title track is twangy, self-deprecating bummer-rock at its finest, the scorching “International Heartache” kicks up a little rockabilly dust, and “The Last Heart In Line” puts a swelling orchestra behind Dwight’s tear-jerking ballad without ever threatening to glitz up the joint. Dwight’s instantly recognizable voice—a wobbly high lonesome moan suffused with pointed hiccups and yodels—can make practically any tune sound golden, and it's even more worthwhile when he's working with this kind of A-list material.