Over the past few years, a fair number of newbies have attempted to co-opt and self-apply the term "outlaw country." For veteran singer-songwriter Dallas Moore, outlaw country is more than just a catchy tagline; it's both a state of mind and a way of life. Moore takes his cues from the founding fathers of the genre – Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, David Allan Coe and George Jones – all of whom he's shared stages with at various points during his nearly 30-year career. He also cites the influence of the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band, artists he's also had the pleasure of performing alongside. "There's an honesty to them as people, and that comes through in their music," Moore observes. "They paint real-life stories – there's nothing artificial about what they do. And that's all I ever tried to do, as well. Trends come and go, but people always gravitate back to something that's authentic, and that’s where I’ve always tried to be." Fans of gutsy, traditional country and Americana have long flocked to Moore's transcendent performances (with his ace outfit, the Dallas Moore Band, he logs upwards of 300 shows per year), and embraced his last album Mr. Honky Tonk which received rave reviews, including a five-star rating from Country Music People. But his loyal audience might find his newest offering Tryin' to Be a Blessing something of a departure. While the album still brims with the kinds of hard-charging, whiskey-soaked anthems that have ma