Dave Miller doesn't play bluegrass. Not exactly. He doesn't play folk, quite. And he certainly doesn't play country music. Rather, he plays a stringed instrument-heavy sort of music that borrows from all sorts of traditions. And, for good measure, producer Don Richmond throws in some wonderful accordion. (in addition to more than a few of the other instruments listed).

Dave Miller Party in the Pines (Howlin' Dog Records)

So, yes, plenty of dobro, mandolin, pedal steel, fiddle and all that. Dave Miller is not a young man, and his voice wears every year he's lived. Which makes for an interesting counterpoint in many of these songs. The musical treatments are full of modern ideas that have escaped their roots, and Miller's voice clearly evokes the past.

New old-timey? Wow. That's perhaps the dumbest description I've come up with in ages. And it's wrong, anyway. Miller slides around different feels and sounds, giving each song its own setting and place. And while he doesn't quite rock, he's not afraid of some electric guitar when needed.

Actually, there is a simple description of what Miller has done here. This is assured, confident roots music. And those roots have traveled more miles than can be imagined. A startlingly fresh and forward-thinking set.