Some country songs are like road movies with their writers as the
protagonists. When they get their hearts broken, their natural tendency is
to roll down the highway. A few belongings go on the backseat, a six-pack
on the passenger seat and the road leads straight into sunset. After three
whikeys in a rundown motel in some nameless town, a song that can ease the
pain will come to mind. Hank Williams, Townes van Zandt, Steve Earle and,
more recently, Ryan Adams have used this recipe and come up with great
songs.

Markus Rill, however is German. And even though European borders are now
open, aren't we lacking in the open horizon that can clear one's thoughts
and heal one's soul? Well, then how the heck does he manage to delight us
with such honest-to-God country-folk-authenticity time and again? On his previous
albums, he often narrated stories from the American southwest, invented
charaters that could've come out of a Springsteen song, and played
blue-collar country rock. Good stuff, very good stuff indeed, that earned
him the title of "Germany's  most Texan songwriter".

On The Price Of Sin, however, pure storytelling doesn't seem to satisfy
Rill anymore. Only in the cleverly constructed Me & Bonnie Parker in
which he tells us the story of the notorious Bonnie & Clyde from Bonnie's
first husband's perspective. The other songs are highly personal. They
deal with sorrow and loss, the magic of love and the sadness of being left
alone. And then there's a touching ode to a father from a narrator who is
not ready yet to say good-bye.

Rill also ventures into new musical territory. He trades the rather sparse
sound of his previous albums for an opulent production  with an
atmospheric sound that beautifully corresponds with these predominantly
slow to midtempo songs. In creating this soundsphere, Rill was supported
by George Bradfute, a producer with fine instict and flair, and a handful
of exceptionally gifted studio musicians like Fats Kaplin, Dave Jacques
and Bryan Owings who collabrorated with him in Nashville, TN.

But the answer as to who how Rill manages to sound so rootsy and authentic
in an unfaked way does not lie in a plane ticket to Music City. The basis
to all of this is his extraordinary songwriting and his first-class
performance - without which that money would've been squandered. And thus
it doesn't seems to make a difference where it is that you try to cope
with life.

Markus Rill has succeeded in recording a brilliant, insightful, evocative,
and moving album that will hopefully get him the attention he deserves.

Frank Wienand