by Bruce EderJ.D. Souther's self-titled debut is a pleasant midtempo country-rock album, very much in the Poco/Eagles mold sonically. With Souther supported by Glenn Frey and Gib Guilbeau, among others, it's no surprise that the sounds here are all familiar -- what distinguishes the album is the quality of the songwriting, most notably "Jesus in 3/4 Time," "Kite Woman," "Some People Call It Music," and "The Fast One," which range across the field from upbeat country-rock through slow blues ("White Wing") to white country gospel. The feelings and sentiments behind the songs are sincere and beautifully sung, and the guitars (played by Souther and Frey) jump on the hooks for all they're worth. The CD reissue also features surprisingly good sound, given its vintage, and holds up extremely well, with good resolution even in the soft and lyrical all-acoustic finale, "Lullaby."