Love's Come to Town

You've got to love the back story of Olav Larsen & the Alabama Rodeo Stars. Larsen's all-American alt-country, it seems, is made by an African-Norwegian who found his way there via records by Gram Parsons, Hank Williams, Neil Young, Uncle Tupelo, John Prine and the like. The Alabama Rodeo Stars? Never seen Alabama. Scandinavians all. But no gimmick, this. Love's Come to Town is the real deal. Larsen is an impressive singer/songwriter and acoustic guitarist/harpist, and those Scandinavians can sure play the heck out of their banjos, dobros, fiddles and accordions. Although they still have quite a way to go before they graduate from inspired by to inspiring, Larsen and the band hold their own among modern honky tonkers.