David Newbould & Friends “The Long Way Home,” 2009

David Newbould plays live from Austin-live in a TV studio-on this combo CD/DVD release that marks his departure for Nashville after a decade in Austin. Newbould’s music, however, sounds like Austin. Newbould possesses a voice with which you are instantly comfortable. And he has a way with a ballad. Three notable ballads on this disk are the fingerpicked “Put the Brakes on Us;” “Old Friend,” with its beautiful harmonies over a lovely chorus; and the long (8:03) “Something to Lose;” which may be the most perfectly realized song on the CD. The backup band is tight and well-rehearsed, including star turns by Cindy Cashdollar and Redd Volkaert. Backup vocalists Megan Melara, Wendy Colonna, and Beth Garner are intrinsic elements of this music’s appeal. The live DVD rocks with unburnished energy, reinforcing the feeling that Newbould is 100% authentic. © Steve Klingaman