Despite its title,
Sam Ashworth's debut solo album,
Gonna Get It Wrong Before I Get It Right, gets it mostly right. The Nashville-based California native finds the right balance of emotion and ability, with the help of onetime
Superdrag frontman John Davis and singer/songwriter
David Mead, among others. If
Ashworth sounds like one of
Mead's or
Josh Rouse's peers -- (just check "All About Me") -- and an obvious disciple of
Elliott Smith, these are hardly negative associations. From the perky shuffle of "Look Back" to the lilting acoustic charm of "If She Needs Me,"
Ashworth is sure to please fans of
the Shins,
Iron & Wine, and all of the aforementioned. ~ John D. Luerssen