On their ambitious fourth album The Ballad Of Charlie Avalon, the Durango, Colorado-based trio Stillhouse Junkies are using their songs to tell stories, not just to get your toe tapping. A sweeping concept record, the album plays like a backroads opera that’s part Southern gothic fable, part bluegrass noir, and part roadhouse jam session.

At its core, The Ballad Of Charlie Avalon is a portrait of a drifter - part alter ego, part everyman - drawn from the reflections of songwriter and band founder Fred Kosak, a man who knows a thing or two about life on the road. The album traces Avalon’s journey from the steamy Louisiana bayou to the unforgiving sprawl of New York City, spinning a tale steeped in vivid detail. Think Steinbeck by way of Doc Watson, with a splash of Tom Waits thrown in for good measure.

Kosak handles all lead vocals and plays guitar and octave mandolin with the kind of authority that comes from countless nights playing live. Longtime bandmate Alissa Wolf brings her signature fire on fiddle and harmony vocals, while Colorado native Jeanette Adams holds it all down on upright bass. Along for the ride are bluegrass greats Sam Bush and Joe Newberry, the latter pulling double duty as producer. A special guest narrator threads the tale together, lending the record a theatrical touch that feels more radio drama hour than traditional string-band fare. But don’t let the concept-heavy framework fool you, this is Stillhouse Junkies at their most musically alive. The arrangements are reaching but loose, filled with swirling improvisations, dynamic tempo shifts, and plenty of space to stretch. One moment you’re knee-deep in swampy blues; the next, you’re galloping through Texas swing, then careening into Appalachian breakdowns. And they never take the same road twice.

Recorded at The Tractor Shed in North Carolina, the vibe is warm, organic, and intimate, as if Charlie himself just walked in, picked up a guitar, and sat down next to you. The band’s knack for threading narrative and nuance into their songs shines throughout, each chapter of Charlie’s tale unfolding with heart and soul. Stillhouse Junkies have long been known as fearless genre explorers, but The Ballad Of Charlie Avalon is something else entirely - a richly imagined, rootsy odyssey that doesn’t just bend tradition, it reimagines it. And you’ll want to follow Charlie Avalon wherever he goes.