Ben Vaughn: Rambler '65

To dispense with the novelty angle first thing: Ben Vaughn's new CD was recorded inside a 1965 Nash Rambler American. Vaughn did this because he believes rock and the automobile are synonymous, because the car was just sitting in his driveway anyway, and because it was fun. The 11 tracks he recorded in his back seat—you can't really count the tacked-on Rambler commercial as a bonus track, but it is kind of neat—seem designed to be heard from the dashboard stereo. There's nothing fresh in singing about loneliness, driving around aimlessly, or the evils of heroin, but Vaughn's spare sound and intangible genius keep the songs meaningful. Truth be told, the lo-fi sound and unusual studio are the least important thing about this album: What matters is that Rambler '65 is a great collection of good, simple roots-rock songs in Vaughn's classic bare-bones style—guitar-led, vocally simple, and cool as can be.