Anthony D’Amato

★★★★ At First There Was Nothing BLUE ROSE. CD/DL/LP

D’Amato’s first full-length album since Cold Snap (2016) might be his best. Some great songwriting on these 10 new tracks, recorded in Utah with Joshua James and band. There’s a warm, uplifting feel to country-gospel opener Long Haul and a sunniness to Trying To Change (“but it’s fucking hard to do”), while the horn solo on catchy Kinda Strange shows you can take D’Amato out of New Jersey but you can’t take New Jersey out of his songs. Best of all: Broke Tooth Smile, The Oyster And The Pearl and But I Go.