Entertainment One

For his fifth LP, Shooter Jennings leaves the paranoia of his 2010 space-twang epic Black Ribbons in the rearview as he cuts closer to the creative cloth woven by his legendary old man than ever before. Family Man still finds the NYC transplant speaking for the 99 percent, as songs like the Tom Morello-assisted “The Long Road Ahead” and “Southern Family Anthem” showcase. But it’s the more personal moments here that illuminate Shooter’s homegrown blend of Harry Nilsson-esque introspection, Nashville, Tenn., radio polish and Steve Wynn conjuring guitar crunch across these ten songs. The most striking of which is “Daddy’s Hands,” a touching tribute to both papa Waylon and to his wife Drea De Matteo’s recently deceased father that cements young Jennings’ place as one of the most crucial acts of our time.