The blending of genres seems like the cool thing to do among artists these days. For every handful of musicians that obviously fake the trend, there will be one that stands out among them-merging different styles in a pure, authentic way. After listening to “Victims, Enemies & Old Friends,” it seems to have happened to the music of Doc Dailey & Magnolia Devil by osmosis.

I generally listen to an album from start to finish at least three times before reviewing it, and, although I’ve given myself ample time to draw a conclusion, I still haven’t been able to tag a genre on this album. The band fits more into the Americana category, and that’s about the best I can offer.

I’ve heard about never judging a book by its cover, but Dailey takes it to a new level. His voice is completely unexpected, and that’s not at all a bad thing. It’s a bit of a combination of a higher pitched Willie Nelson and Reverend Peyton with better pronunciation. Like I said, it’s very hard to explain.

The banjo riffs, lap steel lines and vocal melodies make nearly every track different from the last. I enjoyed the first half of the record, but the last half seemed to appeal to me a little bit more. There are a few tracks on the album that I would definitely recommend.

“Let Me Down” is one of the easiest listening tracks on the record. The combination of the lap steel, banjo and harmonies is so soothing. Don’t let the simplicity of the song fool you. There isn’t a ton going on from a production standpoint, but the lyrics are pretty deep. I love how the song is resolved through the line, “I need one more round to let me down.”

“Keeper” wins the award for the most hauntingly beautiful song on the album. So much is said in 19 lines of lyrics.

Who can’t help but smile when they hear a mandolin? “Red Tail Lights” has gratuitous amounts of mandolin and it definitely helps lighten the mood of the song. I’ve never been so happy listening to a song about watching a love walk away.

I love songs that make you want to join in. Whether it may be singing as loud as possible or clapping along with the track, “She’s Gonna Love Me” is that song from Doc Dailey’s latest offering. It’s hard for me to sit still while listening to it, but it could be my undiagnosed ADHD kicking in.

“The Flame Beneath the Skin” is beautiful. I can almost hear it being in the background at the end of a movie when the hero finally wins the girl over. The song also has some of my favorite lyrics on the record. “That every time he looks away, she steals a glance. And every time he hesitates, they miss their chance.” The fiddle playing in “The Flame Beneath the Skin” is also superb.

Overall, I think that “Victims, Enemies & Old Friends” is a breath of fresh air. It takes me back to a time when my grandfather would sing me songs from bygone days. For those used to listening to mainstream radio, you might not enjoy the entire record, but I dare you sit through the last half of the album and not catch yourself enjoying it.

Doc Dailey was also recently featured in a Times Daily 10-part series featuring some of the top musicians in the Shoals. “Victims, Enemies & Old Friends” was released in late 2010 and is available on iTunes for $9.99.