
At InRo, I wrote about a trio of noteworthy roots music releases, two of which delve into familiar songbooks: There’s By Request, an exhilarating covers album from A.J. Croce that turns to rock, soul, and R&B chestnuts for catharsis and release. And, there’s That’s Life, a second Frank Sinatra tribute album from Willie Nelson, which I like well enough but not nearly as much as the first one. Meanwhile, on an arresting instrumental album called Urban Driftwood, a young guitarist named Yasmin Williams starts drafting a songbook entirely her own.