A Pocketful of Soul

New York Times
August 2000

Rooted on the Edge of the Heartland
If one path of Americana leads back to the Kinman brothers, another lands at the open kitchen door of Jason Ringenberg, the prototypical country punk, who still sometimes leads his band of happy renegades, the Scorchers.

This album is a barn raiser more than a barn burner. Its lovely songs, centered around Mr. Ringenberg's whippoorwill croon, esteem family, history, and, yes, Christianity with characteristic aplomb.

Nothing out of the ordinary jumps out of songs like the gospel stomper,"Under Your Command," the Depression-era ballad "The Price of Progress," or Mr. Ringenberger's ode to his daughter, "For Addie Rose."

But the music and Mr. Ringenberger's voice are so good-naturedly alive that the themes, in classic Americana fashion, are renewed.

Ann Powers