Mark Wiggins
Droppin' The Reigns
Independent Release
Street Date - August 8, 2003

By Ali Bracken

Droppin' the Reigns doesn't always mean losing control, as verified by Mark Wiggins' second independent release. In fact, this Nashville notable's horse-drawn carriage of a career has upgraded to Clydesdales on a mission – notoriety in the capital of country. Wiggins' highly autobiographical 12-track release has real teeth, densely packed with snapshots of a man at 20-something trying to make it in Nashville ('Back to My Roots'), battling a broken heart ('Little Pieces'), finding the humor of youth in retrospect ('Too Old to Breakdance'), and reviving the love of timeless icons ('One More Time Coach Russell').

Half upbeat rock-country, half mellow-acoustic, Droppin' the Reigns covers a wide range of styles, levels of polish and subject matter, thus establishing itself as a compilation both country fundamentalists and progressives can enjoy. Guitar-driven ditties, accompanied by harmonica, fiddle, accordion, and the other usual bluegrass suspects, will get your feet tapping and then leave your heart exposed. Wiggins expresses emotions with simplicity, paired with a raspy-sweet country voice. These qualities, coupled with a talented set of Nashville musicians, suggest that this artist may be sharing his reigns with Music City big wigs in the near future.