Hey, there's a great new CD out called The Thorns. The group is Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge, whom I knew about, and Shawn Mullins, whom I guess I'll be learning more about.

Great songs, excellent musicianship, strong production by Brendan O'Brien (The Rising). Writing credits are all shared by the three band members, so it sounds like a truly synergistic effort. The side men include Jim Keltner(!) and Roy Bittan, as well as O'Brien.

There are moments in the album that hearken back to Crosby, Stills & Nash at their finest. The songs sound loosely '70s as well. But just when they start to border on the sappy, along comes a reminder that these are young men who cut their folk-rock teeth in the late '80s and '90s.

I snagged a copy of this for $9.99 over at Music Millennium. Cheap!

While I was out on the music purchasing run, I also had to pick up the new one from John Hiatt, and the collection of various singers covering the gospel songs of Bob Dylan. More on those when I get to them.

Right now I'm on the second playthrough of The Thorns.