Long Way Home

In the vein of 1995's Gone, Dwight Yoakam continues to argue for an alternative-country future. Expanding his retro Bakersfield sound with significant flourishes of more contemporary and not-so-contemporary pop, rock, and soul, A Long Way Home is an aurally stunning and eclectic recording. "These Arms" begins as a Ray Price shuffle, then seamlessly morphs into a dramatic pop gem, while the thrilling "Yet to Succeed" and "I'll Just Take These" are modern countrypolitan. And mixed among the country pop are roadhouse rockers and bluegrassy hollers, all with some of the more arresting lyrics of Yoakam's career. His last three releases--collections of live tracks, quirky covers and Christmas songs--have been distressingly subpar, but A Long Way Home finds Yoakam not as far from home as we'd feared. --David Cantwell