TRENT WAGLER AND THE STEEL WHEELS, BLUE HEAVEN [JULY 2007 ISSUE] No Label 783707402529 Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels inhabit a musical crossroads where oldtime music, blues, and newgrass meet. Based in central Virginia, Wagler appears to be the lead singer and principal songwriter, and the driving Wheels are fiddler Eric Brubaker and bassist Brian Dickel. There are also a few added reinforcements on this CD, most notably Jay Lapp on mandolin and, although I apologize in advance because I’m sure he’s heard it a thousand times, “Lapp” steel. Wagler’s voice is a supple instrument with an expressive bite and a certain unpredictability in phrasing that’s reminiscent of Darrell Scott. While placing a wheel or two solidly in the wellworn tracks of roots music via straightahead versions of “Shady Grove,” “Wayfaring Stranger,” “Elzic’s Farewell,” and a decidedly nonCeltic rendition of “Tam Lin,” it’s the ten original songs, presumably all Wagler compositions, that set the band apart in the best possible way. While some of the bluesbased numbers such as “18 Wheeler” and “Alaska” don’t necessarily jump out at you, other songs of his that are less genrespecific make a stronger impression. Most distinctive of these include the ballads “Kiss Me Like A Stranger” and “Spider.” The CD’s closing track, “Blue Heaven Don’t Come Around,” is an offkilter quasigospel tune addressing various addictions and temptations and salvations in a way that manages to be somehow startling and solemn at the same time-an impressive accomplishment for any songwriter. This is a wellplayed, wellsung, and wellwritten acoustic Americana recording.