A.J. Roach – Dogwood Winter

There’s a sad beauty, a bittersweet melancholy that runs through the story songs of A.J. Roach, as pure and welcome as an Appalachian spring. Observant, stark and honest, Roach sings of longing, love and loss (“Little Bit Brighter”) and tells a great story about his moonshine runnin’ “Grandaddy.” Recalling John Prine, Roach keeps things close and simple—warm campfire acoustics, an occasional fiddle cry and female harmony vocal. Mostly quiet, moody and reflective, Roach might benefit from a few more lively country sing-alongs, but he’s more interested in the gentle sadness of the title track, “Cold as Christmas” and “Hard Being Right.”