On his second nationally distributed album, genuine cattle-punching cowboy
Todd Fritsch has upped the level of polish just a bit, and 2007's
Sawdust sounds decidedly more radio-ready than his self-titled 2005 release, which earned him some chart action for the song "Small Town Radio." But
Fritsch's regular-guy personality shines through the slick spots on
Sawdust, and along with his strong, easygoing vocal style, it's his greatest asset.
Fritsch sounds right at home singing about pretty girls, broken hearts, honky tonkin', and what he does and doesn't like in country music, and he's clearly having a ball with the
Bob Wills-style swing of "Five Mornings Down," the twangy two-step of "All That's Left Is You," and the proud celebration of his roots in "Texas Talking." On the other hand, the rock-oriented "If You Don't Like Country (Time to Leave)" (ironic title, that) doesn't fit him nearly as well (even if he did co-write it), and "The Rock," in which he sings from the point of view of a church, is a conceit that hardly anyone could bring off. But while
Sawdust sometimes aims for the arenas, it works best when it generates a small-scale barroom ambience, and thankfully
Fritsch and his musicians hit that target most of the time; the arrangements generate a natural honky tonk mood when they're on the beam, and even in its weaker moments
Sawdust boasts a good-hearted sincerity that sets it apart from most of the guys with hats on country radio these days. ~ Mark Deming