With all the chest-thumping going on in Nashville today, where bluster and swagger have replaced heart and soul, you half expect some of country music’s male stars to be sporting bruises. Which is what makes Midland, a trio of friends based in Dripping Springs, Texas, so undeniably refreshing. Made up of singer Mark Wystrach, lead guitarist Jess Carson and bass player Cameron Duddy, Midland is the embodiment of Seventies California country, all smooth Eagles harmonies and heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics. Their songs are intoxicating country sung with the twang of George Strait. And it’s impossible to resist. Midland — the guys took their name from a Dwight Yoakam song — excel in setting a mood, transporting the listener to another place and time. Now signed to Big Machine Records, Midland is in the studio refining and expanding their catalog with ace songwriters like Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. The sessions have yielded some of the most traditional-sounding country music to come out of Nashville in a decade. Lead single “Drinkin’ Problem” evokes Gary Stewart — one of Midland’s biggest inspirations, along with Merle Haggard. “Electric Rodeo,” is a prime example of the “picture” the band so often talks about creating. And the majestic “Nothin’ New Under the Neon” sounds like vintage Eddie Rabbit. Midland’s music is truly a sound decades in the making that’s just right for today.
