Christopher Denny has a voice that keeps revealing more of itself the longer you listen. At first, the voice is a question mark: “What is this?” “Is this for real?” Then, as the songs play, it becomes more of a wonder: “Is this really happening?" “Can this be for real?” And, finally, it blends with the sparse, natural but professional country music of the ‘50s, and the pain of Denny’s difficult life becomes part of the fabric of his intense songwriting. It took seven years for this Arkansas native to release the follow-up to his debut album. Songs such as “God’s Height,” “Our Kind of Love,” “Wings," and “Million Little Thoughts” venture between country music and western Tennessee soul music, with an organ often pushing the equation closer to the sounds of Memphis. The optimism of “Watch Me Shine” sounds so fragile, it could be a lie. But that’s exactly why If the Roses Don’t Kill Us is that rare album that demands you revisit it often. You’re never really sure how it ends.