Markus Rill played at the SXSW-festival in Austin, Tx. last month. He probably didn't stand out among those 1200 artists since his music and lyrics both fit in well with the American South. Then again, his songs probably did stand out - even among 1200 artists since Rill writes and performs Roots-Americana so convincingly that no one could guess that he hails from Würzburg, Germany (in Franconia).

Right from the opening track Singin' In The Cemetery, Rill and his sandstone voice sound more Texan than Franconian. And then there's Me & Bonnie Parker . You'd think such a gem of a country rock song can only come out of Nashville. And indeed it was recorded there.

For this album, Rill recruited some very interesting musicians to help him achieve this highly authentic sound: Fats Kaplin, Dave Jacques, and Bryan Owings. They contributed to making Rill's sixth album a great one. On it you'll find slow and moody character studies (The Price You Pay For Sin) as well as driving uptempo numbers (Carry My Load) - anything that you or people in Texas will want to hear. And that's where Rill went some years ago to learn what it takes to be a first-rate American singer-songwriter. He has succeeded.

4 out of five points - definitely a highlight