Record Review: Bill Kirchen & Austin de Lone

"Mid-Atlantic" refers to the loosely Americanized accent English deejays and actors employ for authenticity. (Think Hugh Laurie as House.) Transatlanticana is possibly the first-ever instance of mid-Atlantic pub rock. Here's Tele-master Kirchen and UK pub rock pioneer de Lone meshing easily on hard country (Kirchen's opening "Hounds of the Bakersfield," both a tribute to Merle Haggard and Commander Cody's early days), swamp pop ("Think It Over"), and gospel ("Somebody's Going Home"), while trading lead vocals over tangy Telecaster licks. Closing with an idiosyncratic "The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Kirchen, Transatlanticana proves nothing if not authentic.