The daughter of a Virginia coal miner, Karen Collins` hardscrabble honky tonk effortlessly bridges the gap between authentic and modern, deftly avoiding the retro cliches that bedevil so many others that try to keep the old traditions alive. Collins suffers no fools. Using her zesty voice and backed by a an exemplary band Collins isn`t afraid to show a man the door if he has done her wrong. Her originals stand alongside a handful of honky tonk gems. Throughout this excellent disc, Collins` roots are showing. In this case, though, that`s a very good thing if you happen to love honky tonk. -- Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music (self-released)
