As the story goes, Robert Finley found overnight success after more than 60 years of hard work. His epic new album "Sharecropper’s Son" was again produced by Dan Auerbach, and features exactly the kind of throwback intensity and modern tone-magic that you would expect from this kind of win-win collaboration. Featuring barroom piano, Wurlitzer, crunchy, vintage electric guitar, slamming horn arrangements, and the kind of soul vibes that can only come from a lifetime of hard living and fast loving, this career-defining new album from Finley hits a sweet spot between southern harmony and classic, rock-driven blues.

Since his semi-finalist appearance on America’s Got Talent, Robert Finley has been hard at work following up on his critically acclaimed record, "Goin' Platinum!" Recorded at Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville with an all-star cast of studio musicians, every song on "Sharecropper’s Son" has a unique story to tell. With Auerbach's guiding touch, Finley's gritty vocal style channels the raw vitality of his own songwriting, and touches on the formidable cultural legacy of legends like Bill Withers, Otis Redding, and Taj Mahal, as well as a host of heavy-hitting bluesmen from Louisiana to Mississippi. Joined by veterans Kenny Brown, Eric Deaton, Bobby Wood, Billy Sanford, Gene Chrisman, Dave Roe, Sam Bacco, and Auerbach himself, Finley has crafted an amazing collection of songs that features the best of American musical traditions. As he shares personal stories inspired by his country childhood during the Jim Crow-era south, Finley reflects on his belief that you are never too young to dream and never too old to live.

Finley's larger-than-life personality shines through his lyrics and vocal delivery. "Sharecropper’s Son" delivers a heady mix of both celebration and lament: from the exuberance of "Starting to See," to the deep blues-feel of "Country Child," and the unforgettable falsetto explorations of "I Can Feel Your Pain" and lead track "Souled Out On You," the excellence of writing and musicianship is as clear as a crisp country morning. For anyone with an ear for instant classics, this is your next obsession. "Sharecropper’s Son" is the kind of album that gets better every time you listen to it—so you might as well get started.

Finley has lived nearly all his days in and around the farmlands and swamps between his birthplace, Bernice, and his current home, Winnsboro, in North-Central Louisiana.

Photo credit: Alysse Gafjken