MARTY RAYBON, HAND TO THE PLOW

MARTY RAYBON
HAND TO THE PLOW

Rural Rhythm Records
RCH-2014

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a huge fan of Marty Raybon. So, he could sing a medical transcript, and I would stand for an encore. Peers like Gary LeVox, lead vocalist of superstar country group Rascal Flatts (“The greatest singer on the planet to this day!”) and Christian artist Jason Crabb (“One of the greatest voices to ever sing…”) sing high praises for Raybon. The singer’s singer harvests another bountiful crop of songs on the bluegrass gospel project, Hand To The Plow. Raybon’s country-soul voice brings blessings with ten songs including five he either wrote or co-wrote: “When He Reigns, It Pours,” “What Have I Done to Deserve This?,” “Walking With God At A Guilty Distance,” “He’s Still My Little Man (Matty’s Song),” and Christian Voice chart-topper “You’ve Got To Move,” which would fit well as an invitation song at church services.

Marty’s brother, Tim, also lays down just the right amount of finesse on background vocals. As an added bonus, imagine Country Music Hall of Fame member Jimmy Fortune of the Statler Brothers, country artists Trace Adkins, and T. Graham Brown, partnering with Raybon on vocals. Listeners feel like they’re at a revival as the guys belt out a reinvented “Working On A Building.” That number alone is worth the cost of the CD. (Rural Rhythm, P.O. Box 750, Mt. Juliet, TN 37121, www.ruralrhythm.com.)BC