Mountain Soul

1	The Boys Are Back In Town 2:34
2	The Richest Fool Alive 3:22
3	Daniel Prayed 2:45
4	Someone I Used To Know / Jon Randall 2:17
5	Out Of Control Raging Fire / Travis Tritt 3:33
6	Rise Up Lazarus 2:21
7	Cheap Whiskey 3:42
8	Pretty Little Miss 2:41
9	I Know You're Married (But I Love You Still) / Travis Tritt 2:54
10	Sorrowful Angels 3:58
11	Soul Of Constant Sorrow 3:04
12	You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive 6:06
13	Two Coats 3:18
14	Sounds Of Loneliness 3:48

Barnes & Noble

Following the success of O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Songcatcher, this all-acoustic homage to bluegrass, folk, and traditional country might at first glance smack of opportunism. But one listen to the powerful Mountain Soul -- which finds one of country music's most celebrated vocalists wrapping her wonderful instrument around some truly penetrating songs -- should obliterate any cynicism. The most common themes -- spiritual longing and carnal yearning -- are fairly encapsulated by three impressive original songs cowritten by Loveless and her husband/producer, Emory Gordy Jr. The first, "Rise Up Lazarus," celebrates the Bible story's universal message of the power of faith. The second, the starkly ambient of "Soul of Constant Sorrow," paints the portrait of a woman forever bereft of spiritual comfort and allows Loveless to positively soar. At the other extreme, "Pretty Little Miss" is a fiddle-and-banjo-fired toe-tapper right out of the barn dance ethos. Elsewhere it's pick 'em, as Loveless delivers a tear-stained version of the Jack Clement country heartbreaker, "Someone I Used to Know," and a haunting take on Darrell Scott's folktale, "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive," two songs recently given memorable treatments by, respectively, Rhonda Vincent on The Storm Still Rages and Brad Paisley on his Part II album. Travis Tritt stops by for a gritty duet on the Kostas-Melba Montgomery traditional country breakup lament, "Out of Control Raging Fire," but the story is Patty Loveless, and an album that rings true and soulful at every turn. David McGee

All Music Guide

A 180-degree departure from contemporary commercial country music, album number six from the always dynamic Loveless is like a breath of fresh air on a steamy summer afternoon. Mountain Soul is a rare and brilliant acoustic 14-track album of bluegrass mountain music. Amidst the mandolins, fiddles, and banjos is Loveless' harking alto voice, singing from her soul to the music she grew up with. Just when you thought the days of Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, and the Stanley Brothers were gone, Loveless brings them back with new life and staggering grace. Rounding out this ubiquitous collection are soft-singing collaborators Travis Tritt, Ricky Skaggs, and Rebecca Lynn Howard. ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia, All Music Guide

Spin Magazine

[9 out of 10] ...Loveless has made the great record her traditionalism-tinged country pop has always hinted at. Andrew Beaujon