Phosphorescent: To Willie

Label: Dead Oceans

Folks have been finding all kinds of truth in Willie Nelson’s music for decades, and now it’s Matthew Houck, the indie-country star better known as Phosphorescent, trying on 11 songs Willie wrote (or covered himself). Houck, who relocated to Brooklyn from Athens, Georgia, a few years back, occasionally plays it too safe on To Willie—we’d have liked him more raucous on “I Gotta Get Drunk,” for instance—but he succeeds grandly in restyling the particular details of Willie’s own vocals (that sui generis lilt, the cracking notes that seem to reseal themselves instantly). Fans of Houck’s past work—not to mention stellar songwriting—will find much to wrap themselves in on To Willie; his backing band kicks up a nice cloud of dust on “Pick Up the Tempo” and the aforementioned “I Gotta Get Drunk,” but we favor the quieter pieces like “It’s Not Supposed to Be That Way” (a duet with Angel Deradoorian) and the deceptively layered solo turn on “Can I Sleep in Your Arms.” (M.L. Thrope)