In his debut release Love & War, singer/songwriter Chris Smith brings a fresh, distinctive sound from an old county barroom in a southern ghost town. He conjures up the ghosts of Townes Van Zandt, Gram Parsons, and a number of other sweet but not forgotten spirits. The lyrics are raw, honest, and meet the rural, blue-collar family for dinner. Smith is armed with an acoustic guitar and his licks are often dark, abstinent, and bring a solemn feeling of sobriety to an otherwise lively celebration. His songs evoke warmth and distance at the same time, entrapping the audience between lost love and the luxury of hell-bent solitude. There is a spiritual cry throughout most of the record that leaves the listener seeking morality in a forgotten desert. A must for anyone who loves the sound of solo alt-country mixed with the rigorous self-discipline of a small town reprobate.