Stoney LaRue's Us Time was a project made very much for his fans. Collected of songs he'd previously only done live, the album contains several covers as well as a few originals.
The same can be said of his cover of Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic."
The first original song on the album is "Feet Don't Touch the Ground," which has previously been released in a live version by LaRue. This is the first time a studio version of the song has been released. It's a song about being in love and being lifted up so high when being with the one he loves that his "feet don't touch the ground."
One of the most standout covers on the album is LaRue's version of "Empty Glass," which has become almost a standard in country music. Randy Rogers Band frequently plays this song live (it closes out their first live album). LaRue gives a remarkable performance of the song capturing the heartbreak and pain of the song.
Also among the standout covers is LaRue and Cody Canada's duet cover of the Willie Nelson/Ray Charles song "Seven Spanish Angels." Together, these two give the song a unique and original feel without sacrificing what made the original so special.
"Til the Morning Comes" is one of the standout originals on the album. It's like a superior version of Chris Young's "Tomorrow" (a song I actually really like) about two lovers sharing one last night together before leaving each other when the night is over.
"Easy She Comes" is another standout track, one of the more up-tempo numbers on the collection which LaRue wrote with his frequent co-writer Mando Saenz (whom, if I recall correctly, LaRue wrote the entirety of Aviator with).
This is an album that was announced and released very quickly (not as quickly as a couple of others released this year, but still) and has not received much of the attention it probably deserves. Why this is, I'm unsure, but regardless, it's a top-notch album.