Cilker's debut release is a real humdinger that rates play on any Americana show. She may be a Los Altos native but years busking and working on a ranch in eastern Oregon gives her true cowgirl cred. No doubt living in rural areas has contributed to her earthy style and, like S.G. Goodman, she uses her music to bridge the red/blue divide. Her band, which is composed of players from the Decemberists and Son Volt, is first rate but generally understated providing plenty of room for her dazzling story telling and gloriously languid vocals. Looking for some cool DJ points, play this before she becomes the next Lucinda Williams and play anything; the whole disk is a real hoot.

RIYL: Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Levon Helm

FCC: #1 (0:20, 2:48), #8 fuck 1:23 - (disk is clean)

That River - piano & fiddle provide dramatic background to exquisite vocals (med, 3:09, FCC)**

Kevin Johnson - lovely honky tonk piano, violin & slide (slow, 3:24)***

Broken Arm In Oregon - beautifully haunting story of an abused woman with great fiddle (slow, 3:47)**

Flood Plain - slow, simple guitar & fiddle showcases her incredible vocals (slow, 3:26)**

Tehachapi - fun toe tapper with catchy accordion and a Little Feet vibe (fast, 3:07)***

Barbed Wire (Belly Crawl) - edgy rocker with haunting slide (med, 2:47)*

Chester's - slow, haunting observation of life at a dive bar (slow, 3:37)***

Broker Taxman... - toe tapper with a honky-tonk vibe about sexism (med, 2:36, FCC)***

Wine In The World - slow & deliriously beautiful story about savoring life (slow, 5:34)****