The Ballad of Sally Moore is a new three song EP from Kentucky bred singer songwriter Jason Tyler Burton. These three songs all tell the same sad tale, but from different points of view. In the opening tune, Road Runner, Sally’s abusive ex-husband laments “These days I sit staring at the walls, where you left your magazine dreams. I hope you got to see those mountains in the fall. I hope you didn’t have to go too far.” This emotional song sets the tone, while All the Whiskey in the world and the title track offer slightly more upbeat but no less tragic takes on the story of Sally Moore. This is the first new material from Burton since his 2014 album Headwaters, which made many best-of-the-year lists. Working again with Dave Tate, who also co-produced Headwaters, The Ballad of Sally Moore represents a different sound, with electric guitars, piano, organ, and other instruments creating layers of texture to help convey the raw emotion of the tunes. Burton says he wrote the title track over 10 years ago, but always thought there was more to the story. Much like how he expanded on the Gillian Welch tune with Caleb Meyer’s Ghost on his 2012 album The Mend, Burton here re-visits his own song, adding two more accounts of the life of Sally Moore. The album cover is an intriguing shot of a girl looking out at mountains in Wyoming, where the nomadic Burton has recently relocated. While The title track hints of a tragic ending, the cover suggests the possibility of a happier ending. Burton doesn’t let us off easy, but leaves it to us to consider what happens “when the dust of a life finally clears”, and maybe the girl on the cover gives us a little glimpse of hope, that maybe Sally did get to see those mountains after all.