Southern Gentleman

Some of the most popular country singing of the 21st century has been animated with arena-scale energy or syncopated with rap-influenced cadences. Alabama’s Dee White stood apart from all of that the minute he opened his mouth, introducing himself on a 2018 EP as a college-age country crooner. Produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Nashville studio veteran David Ferguson, White’s aptly titled debut full-length, *Southern Gentleman*, showcases the melancholy finesse he can bring to rustic reminiscences (“Bucket of Bolts,” “Ol’ Muddy River”), genteel classic pop (“Under Your Skin,” “Tell the World I Do”), lushly orchestrated arrangements (“Rose of Alabam,” “Oh No”), and countrypolitan settings (“Crazy Man,” “Road That Goes Both Ways”). His singing partner on the latter song is the warmly expressive Ashley McBryde, while Alison Krauss, widely celebrated for her crystalline timbre, also appears on several tracks.

Dee White calls himself a "Southern gentleman" on his 2019 debut, but because the singer/songwriter leans hard on his Alabama background, his stylized retro-country evokes a past that doesn't necessary belong to the land south of the Mason-Dixon line.