Where do Alison Krauss and Union Station go after releasing the greater portion of the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, and New Favorite; two of the greatest group efforts in bluegrass since anything that graced us from The Carter Family and Flatt & Scruggs all those years ago to Steve Earle and the Del McCoury? Not far that's for sure. Lonely Runs Both Ways is a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kind of album in every sense of the phrase.

The only real difference between Lonely Runs Both Ways and those last two records is that Lonely has a few more mellower tunes. Songs like "If I Didn't Know Any Better" and especially the more Christian oriented "A Living Prayer" showcase the angelic voice that Krauss possesses.

Don't worry though Union Station fans, there's plenty of rollicking bluegrass to get excited for here. The soggy bottom voice himself Dan Tyminski tackles Del McCoury's excellent "Rain Please Go Away" and Woody Guthrie's "Pastures Of Plenty" in perfect form. The entire band gets in on the fun on the instrumental "Unionhouse Branch," showcasing the brilliance of Krauss's fiddle and especially (surprise, surprise!) Jerrry Douglas, master of the dobro guitar.

The only real dud of the entire bunch belongs to banjo player Ron Block singing lead vocals on "I Don't Have To Live This Way." Thankfully though Block leaves the lead vocals to Krauss and Tyminski on the rest of the album. Occasionally, Lonely runs long on the lethargic side, but it's still a winner more often than not.