Beautiful Door (2007)

"Actor Billy Bob Thornton's fourth recording leaves the concepts, social and political ideas, and American mythologies behind for something more personal. The band is small: Thornton plays drums (rudimentarily) and percussion, Brad Davis is on guitars, and veteran bassist Leland Sklar and organist Ted Andreadis are here as well. Graham Nash guests, contributing backing vocals to three tracks. Musically, this feels something akin to a sleepy Dave Alvin record. And there's nothing wrong with sleepy. He and his band stroll along the edges of roots rock and country and meld them seamlessly. He's terribly concerned with his lyrics carrying weight, and that you know exactly how he feels about things, but for all the excess, there is a songwriter in here who has begun to emerge in earnest. These tunes feel like memory flashes captured on aging Polaroid photographs. For those drawn to the wee-small-hours reflections of Dave Alvin, Tom Russell, or Malcolm Holcombe, this is for you." (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)