Dale Watson

Dale Watson

The warm baritone of Dale Watson booms authentic on just about any country song, but on the The Truckin' Sessions Vol. 2, it's as high-octane as a big rig. Watson's sophomore take on highway sturm und twang tailgates his 1998 journey on the highways with mostly traditional themes. Neon's lure in the darkness ("Jack's Truck Stop and Cafe"), unemployment ("No Help Wanted"), female drivers ("Yankee Doodle Jean"), CB talk ("Hey Driver"), and even an instrumental ("10-4") map out Watson's 18 wheels ("Truckin' Man") and a decidedly nontraditional paean to a cross-dressing trucker ("Truckin' Queen"). Trucking songs are largely overlooked country turf, with Dave Dudley and Red Sovine as kings of the road in the 1960s, but when Watson sings, "Now the road's callin' me like a sailor to the sea," in "I Got to Drive," he leaves everyone to eat his dust.