S/T

It’s been more then 10 years since Charlie Louvin last released an album, but his latest release has been worth the wait. Together with his late brother Ira, who died in a car crash in 1965 at the age of 41, Charlie wrote and recorded some of the greatest hits in country music and influenced generations of artists from Johnny Cash to Uncle Tupelo. The self-titled album is a largely reflective work, featuring guest performances from Elvis Costello, Will Oldham, George Jones, Jeff Tweedy and others on songs by the Delmore Brothers, Jimmie Rodgers, the Carter Family and (of course) the Louvin Brothers. Although Charlie’s once pure and smooth tenor has been ravaged by time, he still emotes far better than most, particularly on “Ira,” a heartsick ode to his late brother and partner. If the album has one sour note, it’s “Great Atomic Power,” in which nouveau indie rocker and former alt-country wunderkind Jeff Tweedy spews pointless noise guitar over the chorus of an otherwise traditional performance. As off-putting as Tweedy’s chutzpah may be, Louvin’s sincerity and artistry quickly let you forget it and enjoy a fine album by a living legend.