Charlie Sexton & Shannon McNally - Southside Sessions (2006)

This acoustic one-off from Back Porch labelmates Charlie Sexton and Shannon McNally was conceived after a short joint tour where they shared the stage for part of the set. Their label's name is an ideal description of this casual meeting of the minds--it seems like microphones were set up in a country yard on a gray Sunday morning as the two musicians discarded their stage personas and modest star trappings to revel in the love of making music. The songs are a mix of originals from each artist, along with a few similarly themed covers from others such as Townes Van Zandt ("No Place to Fall") and Jesse Winchester ("Biloxi" works as a perfect post-Katrina lament from ex-New Orleans resident McNally). Echoes of Gram Parsons's classic work with Emmylou Harris abound, but the Southside Sessions sound is more somber, sorrowful, and folksy, with touches of gospel-styled passion. The peaceful yet emotionally charged vibe is aided by solemn piano and barely-there percussion to help flesh out these naked performances. Sexton's flinty voice meshes surprisingly well with McNally's more classic husky country twang to produce a short but bittersweet half-hour of songs that linger long after the last note fades.~Hal Horowitz