Black Dog

Country tributes to long-distance truckers once tended toward the cliched. But in the last decade, the hypnotic pull of the white line — and restlessness and yearning of the mythic road warrior — has inspired some of the grittiest, most powerful of the genre. On Black Dog, which includes previously released tunes from Steve Earle, Gary Allan, and Chris Knight, the hillbilly highway beckons with spooky aplomb. B+