Grow up loving country music? Been missing it since, well, probably since you got your driver’s license? There’s good news. Ben Bostick‘s new album — The Rascal Is Back — makes it clear that all hope is not lost. It might not be what you expect (which is refreshing), but this collection will bring back memories of the joy felt when turning on the AM dial and heading out for a nice, long drive to anywhere. After all, anywhere is a perfect destination when your road companion is a song as repeatedly listenable as “Strange Duck” or “Po No More.”

Comparisons to similar consummate country storytellers from previous generations could easily be made, but that would somehow suggest that Ben Bostick is not an original — which he is. He clearly loves music, audiences, and using one to unashamedly please the other. It sounds like summer of 2023 is gonna be alright after all. Get ahold of this album, and enjoy the ride.