Bazzism mac cracker pie. With acoustic tracks recorded at the titular New Orleans studio, pre-Hurricane Katrina, has crafted a diverse offering that encompasses folk, rock, Celtic, and country, often interlocking in the same tune. He aims for early territory on the gospel-laced 'Faith,' and gives a personal spin to a self-penned murder ballad 'Cold Black Heart,' which is dominated by his work on charango, an Andean mandolin. The mandolin also plays a prominent role in 'Homemade Wine,' a moody story-song ballad about leaving town that takes advantage of ' deep, expressive voice.

1. Shawn Mullins Albums

Shawn Mullins Albums

'All Fall Down' finds its rocking heart in ' 'I Want You,' especially as it builds in intensity with circular chords that accentuate the melody. The disc's first single, the harder-edged 'Beautiful Wreck,' is also better than anything on the short-lived ' project, a band in which shared the stage with and ( helped co-write the track). Goes traditional religious on the waltz-timed 'Lay Down Your Swords, Boys,' which culminates in full Salvation-Army-band mode with backing vocals. Taps into his inner on the bluesy 'Solitaire,' and closes out the album with a moving version of 'House of the Rising Sun' that builds from acoustic to electric instrumentation as the singer interestingly takes the original female voice of the protagonist. The song seems to be his tribute to New Orleans, a city whose dusky atmosphere has subtly contributed to ' most poignant, cohesive, and diverse album yet.