Devil’s Road

By the time of Devil’s Road, the Walkabouts weren’t getting American releases on any kind of regular basis, having found a greater response to their work in Europe. But that was well rewarded thanks to their commercial breakthrough in Germany in particular with “The Light Will Stay On,” a dramatic string-swept Carla Torgerson vocal effort that rivaled the atmosphere and passion of prime Lee Hazlewood. It was far from the only standout, as songs like the Chris Eckman-sung “The Stopping-Off Place,” “Christmas Valley” and “Forgiveness Song” all showed.