Troy Olsen's major label debut won't drop until Oct. 5, but you can listen to some of the songs online at MySpace.com/troyolsen
You can also buy them at iTunes.com
The album - as yet untitled - will feature his rocking self-penned debut single, "Summer Thing," which broke into the Top 40 of Billboard's country singles chart this month. It will also include "Ghost Town Train," a ballad Olsen wrote and Tim McGraw recorded late last year on "Southern Voice."
If his MySpace jukebox is any indication, Olsen's upcoming self-produced, self-penned CD will strike a tantalizing balance between neo-traditional and contemporary country. Here's a quick take of some of those songs.
• Early favorite: "Truth or Consequences" - a play on the New Mexico town - about a guy chasing down the postmark on a goodbye card.
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• Runner-up: The midtempo ballad "Trying to Find the Sun," a breakup and move-on song from the woman's point of view.
• Arizona postcard: Olsen paints a picture of cool desert canyons and rustic Southern Arizona desert scenes in "Let Me Take You There." The prominent keyboard line backed by soaring steel guitar is standout.
• Nice introduction: "Summer Thing" stops short of Jimmy Buffett territory. It's a breezy romp on the lake where "the days are getting longer and them shorts are getting shorter."
Cathalena E. Burch
