SHOOTER JENNINGS
The Wolf
Universal South

Waylon's boy means to carry on the tradition -- outlaw shtick and all

So who is Shooter Jennings if he isn't Waylon's son? He hopes you don't ask -- he mentions "my dad" in the first verse of his third album and before long also name-checks Johnny, Merle and Hank in case you missed the point. Shooter has himself a rockin' band, and he can write a little -- "Old Friend" male-bonds with some warmth, and "She Lives in Color" female-bonds with some warmth. But he's the type who loves his darlin' for those "ladylike things," and at bottom, he's selling an "authentic" revival of a marketing tool -- one his dad invented, known asoutlaw country. "Higher," the most likable song here, is by Shooter's drummer, who's in it for the pussy straight up. Sure, there are ladies who love outlaws, and guys who wish said ladies loved them instead. But why anyone else should care about this stuff, only Willie Nelson could tell you, and his fee is fifty grand.

Rolling Stone, Nov. 1, 2007