Album Of The Week: Sturgill Simpson A Sailor’s Guide To Earth

It must be a big responsibility, having a voice like the one Sturgill Simpson has. It has to be something like having superhuman strength or the power of teleportation. There's the joy that comes with having this amazing ability, but then there's also the knowledge that you need to use it for good, and the uncertainty of what "good" might even be. It's a voice that sounds distilled and barrel-aged. It's big and heavy and oaky, and it commands instant respect. It has gravitas. But it also has a certain playfulness to it, a good-ol'-boy sense of joy. It's a voice that tells you: "This guy has done some living." And he has. Simpson was in his mid-30s by the time most of us heard of him. He's been around. He's done some things.