When local country singer-songwriter Lyle E Style asked whether his musical heroes had any unrecorded songs, he got the answer he was hoping for: they did. And so Cutting Room Floor was born. The album contains unreleased songs written by legends Roger Miller, Waylon Jennings, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly, along with nine originals. With those names come mighty big boots to fill, but there’s a lot of cowboy under Style’s hat. The whiskey-soaked vocals sound at times reminiscent of Kenny Chesney and at other times like Jeff Tweedy, all the while remaining unique. Style shows great respect for his musical forefathers while carving out his own path in the industry and on the scene. While it’s no Mermaid Avenue, this serving of songs by renowned writers and performers is pretty OK.

Published in Volume 63, Number 16 of The Uniter (January 15, 2009)