Jesse Daniel, from California, although still young, has experienced enough to make songs until his death. He once started out as a drummer in punk bands, but soon made the move to hardcore country. The fact that he came from a broken home ensured that he had no shortage of good lyrics. Alcohol, heroin and methamphetamine addictions were added later. Even more material to draw from. He’s been clean for seven years now, and Countin’ The Miles is his fourth record, but the first on a slightly bigger label. And it’s a fantastic album, one that you could put right up there with Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings. Eleven heartbreaking songs, howling steel guitar, and played with the energy of a punk group. Among the musicians assisting Daniel, Ben Haggard, Merle’s son, also appears. The ultimate proof that Jesse Daniel is “the real thing.