(Independent Release) When I lived in New England, I longed for albums from the South. Drive-By Truckers, Barbara Cue and Tishamingo gave me a sense of being back home. Former Bearfoot Hooker Ty Manning’s Empty House is one of those albums. It documents heartbreak and recovery, Southern style.

The rhythm section of Derek Warren (bass) and Conner Griffin (drums), along with multi-instrumentalists Scotty Nicholson and Adam Poulin, is spectacular. Poulin’s fiddle sets a country tone on “As Long as I’m With You” and the title track. With his scorching guitar on “If You Don’t Want Me, I Don’t Need You,” Nicholson shows why he is one of the most sought-after musicians in Athens. Other notable guests include guitarists Zack Stone and Bo Hembree, plus soulful vocalist Lydie Koffi Omesiete.

While Manning promises that his next album will be a more lighthearted affair, Empty House is a wonderful celebration of what makes life the emotional journey it is. It’s a guide to the sound of an empty house—and how to fix that corresponding hole in one's heart.