Carll is locked in a not-so-fierce battle with Ryan Bingham for the title of new king of alt-country. Here he splits the difference between Bingham's tender musings and a more raucous brand of humor. It's no surprise a guy best known for ''She Left Me for Jesus'' would turn in a one-night-stand saga as funny as the Democratbeds- Republican duet ''Another Like You,'' but he can play it beautifully straight — and sad — too. B+