When Junior Brown’s debut arrived in 1993, he'd already been a jewel of the Austin club scene for several years. He wasn't just a virtuoso singer and guitarist—best known for his ability to play pedal steel and electric licks in tandem—but a veritable compendium of postwar American country styles. 12 Shades of Brown is a showcase for his expertise, knowledge, and all-around class. He shifts seamlessly from heartfelt West Texas honky tonk (“My Baby Don’t Dance to Nothing but Ernest Tubb,” “Coconut Island”) to high-powered Bakersfield swing (“Baby Let the Bad Times Be,” “Too Many Nights in a Roadhouse”) to rugged-but-sweet Kristofferson-esque folk (“They Don’t Choose to Live That Way”). Notwithstanding Brown’s superlative taste and ability, the best thing about 12 Shades of Brown is its tone. It'd have been easy for a prodigy like Brown to go garish. Instead, he adopts a warm, restrained approach that gives the performances a timeless feel. Even when he’s moving at a lightning clip, as on “Freeborn Man,” his presence remains gentle, his attack hushed.