Dustin Overbeek, "I Can't Fly," 2007 With a voice a little like Merle (that's Haggard, y'all) but more polished like Vince Gill, this guy should be cutting Nashville demos. Sure, he's a singer-songwriter who inches toward rock but with a full band featuring a weepy pedal steel then boy howdy, this is country. Most songs are on the lighter side, like "Divine Intervention" where he sings "I need some heavy, heavy medication / to ease the burden of this race." Tim O'Brien adds mandolin and a harmony vocal. "Carry On" is a view from a barstool but it's a hopeful one, "Under the watchful eye of a neon sign, I will carry on." "Ounce of Simple" is an upbeat toe-tapper. "Break Free" is a more somber tune urging someone to leave an abusive relationship. The best cut is the autobiographical "Somewhere in Between" done only with his acoustic guitar and sparsely played pedal steel.
Jamie Anderson - Minor 7th Webzine (May 1, 2008)