Chris Stapleton From a Room: Volume 1

If Chris Stapleton felt any pressure to follow up his acclaimed, chart-topping 2015 solo debut album, Traveller, none of it comes through on From a Room: Volume 1, another assured, old-fashioned, musically accomplished collection of country and roots-rock that combines Stapleton’s Nashville songwriting chops with the kind of grit and personal expression that rarely shines through in mainstream country. That’s not to say that Stapleton’s music isn’t accessible: Album opener “Broken Halos” could easily have been a huge hit for someone like Blake Shelton or Tim McGraw, with its catchy chorus and positive spiritual message tinged with melancholy.

But Stapleton strips away the gloss and finds the sincerity and emotion in every song, even when covering another artist, as on his minimalist version of Willie Nelson’s “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning.” Releasing the slow, sparse ballad “Either Way” as the lead single almost seems like a dare to country radio.

From a Room is as much a blues album as a country album, and Stapleton really lets loose on songs like the blazing blues-rocker “Second One to Know,” with guitar work worthy of Stevie Ray Vaughan; upbeat, soulful ballad “Without Your Love,” which sounds like late-period Eric Clapton; and swampy, soul-searing album closer “Death Row.” Whether with a twang or a howl, Stapleton delivers every song with everything he’s got.