For those os us who gave up watching ‘American Idol’ years ago—hey, what can I say, I was a big Katharine McPhee fan—finding out that an up-and-coming talent as gifted as Alex Miller almost makes me want to set my DVR to the show again. Although Alex Miller had an appearance on the program, he seems destined to have made it into the country music scene with or without some celebrity endorsement. Why? Because if there’s one genre of music that rewards talent and authenticity, it’s country music—and Alex Miller has both.

Alex Miller packs more of the country music experience into these five tracks than most so-called country artists do in an entire album these days. This 5-song EP does just what an EP should. It makes you yearn for the artist’s next full-length album, With a voice this strong, and with this much range and likeability, one could even suggest that Alex Miller is the voice of country music.

From the rollicking rhythm of “Girl, I Know A Guy,” to the insistent rock beat of “God Made the South,” to the laid-back comfort of “Every Time I Reach for You,” to catchy toe-tapper “Puttin’ Up Hay,” to the classic swing of “Gettin’ Lucky in Kentucky,” Miller can do it all, effortlessly. In sixteen minutes of glorious music, he restores your faith in the ongoing durability of country music. In other words, turn off the TV and put this boy on the radio!

Here’s a bonus video, which includes a song that appears on the Country EP: