This East Tennessee songwriter brings subtle, lived-in textures to his vignettes of the American experience. “Racing to a Red Light” is an expression of desperate small-town glory that would make Springsteen proud, while “Back When I Was Young” has the ragged and real sound missing from modern country-rock. What makes Hultquist special is the way he spikes Southern flavors with unexpected style. Check the Beatles-esque arrangement of “Strangeness of the Vine,” or the bluegrass-power-pop hybrid of “1983.” Meanwhile, longtime Ryan Adams fans will delight in the golden-tinted open-road vibes “American Highway” and “Garden of Roses.”