USA Today review by Ken Burns

Matt King, Rube: * * * -- Apocalypatic swamp stomp

Country renegade Matt King has "one of the boldest and most disturbing, irritating, fascinating albums you're likely to hear," according to me.

King is a former mainstream country artist who has musically detoured in dramatic fashion. Rube sounds something like a collision between Tom Waits, Beck and Big & Rich in a miasmic fog. Cutting through the sonic vapors are nasty guitars; filtered, distorted “radio tone” vocals; Burundi drums (think Adam Ant); and even vibes. Ruminations on death, meth, heaven and hell figure strongly, and the sum total is one of the boldest and most disturbing, irritating, fascinating albums you’re likely to hear. — Ken Barnes

>>Download: Glitter-stomping Cursing the Ohio, more conventional Graveyard Shift
>>Consider: Everything else, at least once