Occupying a space between the New Traditionalists who champion classic country stylings and the alt-country crew, Jason Eady has mastered the art of the soft sell. On Daylight & Dark, he keeps his Outlaw Country influences close at hand, but the overall feel is more akin to Willie Nelson's understated grace than Waylon Jennings' rough-and-tumble, rock-inflected approach. Though the album opens with the good 'n' greasy honky-tonk drinking song "OK Whiskey," Eady mostly leans back on the tempo and dynamics, letting his finely wrought tunes and pure country pipes carry the day without too much fuss. Swooping, haunted pedal steel lines artfully frame the songs as Eady lays out his ideas with deceptive simplicity. Like most great country singers, he's adept at limning the darker side of life, observing "I drink because I'm lonesome/I'm not lonesome 'cause I drink" on "Whiskey & You" and "It costs a lot to love somebody/And I know because I had to pay the price" on "Late Night Diner." Mainstream or underground, Daylight & Dark is one of 2014's best country albums.