Born in Louisiana but living in Baltimore, MD, Miles Gannett is making us rethink what it means to be an Americana artist. This rethinking is good. On his new album, Meridian, we're hearing a combination of hard driving bluegrass, as well as great folky songwriting. There's some jam moments, too. And it's all Americana. It's all rooted in the tradition of great lyrics paired with top tier instrumentation by great players.

Sometimes a song idea lands softly or inconspicuously, and sometimes it strikes a writer like a bolt of lightning, or in Miles Gannett’s case a string of mid-travel tornadic storms. That’s how Gannett ended up in Meridian, Mississippi, one night on a trip back from visiting his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana.