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GREG TROOPER Make It Through This World Sugar Hill *****

This is my current favourite woolly jumper of a record: the kind that always makes you feel warm and wanted. American singer-songwriter and frequent visitor Greg Trooper will never top any charts, but his country-tinged songs of simple soulfulness and his playing of them make his albums always worthy of a detour. And Make It Through This World is worth even more effort than usual, as Trooper has teamed up with legendary country-soul writer, singer and producer Dan Penn to make what is one very sweet album. The dominant sounds are Kevin McKendree's Hammond B3 and Bill Kirchen's tasteful guitar, and Trooper has written a rake of great songs to match them, not least opener Dream Away the Blues, and including I Love It When She Lies and the epic closer, Lonesome for You Now. Low-key and lovely. www.gregtrooper.com