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With twangy baselines and lyrics like "pass me the bottle and hide my guns ‘cause my horse has got an empty saddle," this Vancouver based singer-songwriter sounds like he's straight from the rural prairies. Traditional country themes mix with folksy ballads on this debut album.

Latimer's sound is predominantly acoustic and raw with little accompaniment except his guitar. There is a mix of songs that make you want to sit on a stump and have a good cry and others that make you want to grab a partner and head to a barn dance. The album seems to be the story of a heartbroken cowboy lamenting about his loss and other problems in his lonely rancher life. In the end though there is the sense that this cowboy is strong and will have the courage to move on after such devastation and heartache.

The contrast of slow, melodic songs with bouncy, toe-tapping ones makes for a great album. While listening to the album there is a feeling of swaying in your hammock on a lazy summer day or loping along on your horse without a care in the world. If I ever went on a hayride, this would be the music I would bring.

Latimer uses the usual topics of traditional country songs (drinking, hayfields, cattle, heartache) but somehow they feel more heartfelt and wholesome than simply a song about someone shooting his "paw." While Latimer may not be a true cowboy, what matters is that he is a true musician.

Reviewed By: Tessa Perkins