The Southern Companion 'Shine A Light'

It could be argued that The Southern Companion are at a pivotal moment in their recording career. Having started out as a solo project led by Darren Hodson, 'Shine A Light' is their third studio album. Arriving after the band have been nominated for (and won) several awards, and more importantly after several tours opening for the iconic Lulu, Hodson and his bandmates have finally got the spotlight shining on them brightly enough for a crossover into the mainstream.

Having previously garnered comparisons to Chris Stapleton, the DIY Americana Rock outfit are actually in a very different field. The whiskey-soaked outpourings of the Grammy and CMA darling may boast the same poignancy as The Southern Companion, but the immediacy of Stapleton's material is a world away from the thought-provoking terrain The Southern Companion inhabit.

This does not make either artist weaker, it just means the two inhabit very different worlds. The Southern Companion is an artist you slowly fall in love with. His new album 'Shine A Little Light' needs a solid investment of your time to fully capture your heart, but those that give it that time will be rewarded with one of the most stunning collections released in the last decade.

With the band's production and songwriting having come on leaps and bounds since their debut. Although they open with album's strongest moment, the devastatingly beautiful 'Billy's Brother', it is far from only the key moment. And it must be noted that despite the lack of Stapleton's commercial awareness, they do deliver the Luke Combs' driven potential radio hit, 'Already Gone'.

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