Ronnie Milsap ranks as the pre-eminent country soul singer of his generation. He also represents much more than any two-word definition can convey: a humble, overtly friendly fellow with a talent as vast and multi-dimensional as the American South.

Milsap provided country music with one of its most important voices, as the genre was moving beyond its rural roots into the mainstream of modern entertainment. And now he returns to his country roots with his new album, Country Again on Bigger Picture Records.

The album begins with 'A Better Word For Love,' a song that literally oozes out of the speakers, its lush velvet tones so beautiful to listen to. The spunkier title track 'Country Again' revolves around a high powered car, before the crooner in Milsap comes back in 'Cry Cry Darling.'

In truth, this man can be any type of singer he wants to be anytime he puts his lips to a microphone and on both 'You're the Reason I'm Living' and confessional 'Almost Mine' he shows true examples of this fact. The rockier 'Oh Linda' is one of the best tracks on the album, before 'Even Fools Get Lucky' follows closely behind.

On 'For a Minute There,' Milsap reminisces about an old, lost love before the full-on band track 'Fireworks' - which features the great line, 'One little kiss and there's fireworks in the middle of the afternoon!' The album rounds out with the old school country of 'On My Own,' the Cash-inspired 'Trapped In An Old Country Song,' and finally the bouncy, seemingly backed by an old '70s TV theme, 'If You Don't Want Me To (The Freeze)'! I mean, just listen to it yourself and tell me there's not an old '70s TV theme in there somewhere!

Anyway, this new Ronnie Milsap album is sure to please country fans all round the world. Devoted fans, followers of his music who have missed his old country-blend of styling that brought us classics in decades past, and new-to-Milsap listeners that want to know more thereafter. And they/you should, trust me!

Russell A. Trunk