'Volume 2' is a shade weaker than its predecessor but still a more than worthwhile outing, again the finger picked delicate tune is the highlight; 'A Simple Song' can sometimes be the best sort after all.

Even the most generic and blues'y tracks included here like 'Train to Memphis' are decent enough, if unremarkable.

Two years after 'Traveller' Stapleton releases two albums that almost serve as a double set, though they weren't released together. They largely pick up where the debut left us, although there appears to have been an attempt to 'rock out' and amplify the big guitar numbers a smidgen.

The bad side of this is that the vocals can lose some of their nuance when he's belting them out, but he has a good enough voice for more rocking country tunes.

Carrying on that line of thinking you'd expect ... read more

Straight away on this debut you realise Stapleton hasn't got a really showy or unique voice (think Sturgill for contrast) but he uses it well, striking a balance between beauty, grit and soul; it's almost the archetypal high quality 'contemporary country' vocal.

The song writing also finds the right mix between grandstanding emotional outpourings and a more humble, understated approach. Further variety is added through the inclusion of a few numbers that get a lot closer to 'country soul' ... read more

Death becomes them.