It was unreasonable to expect Duane Betts’ second full-length long-player, Isle of Hope, to match the passionate match of musicianship and material of its predecessor, Wild and Precious Life. And, in fact, this Sun Records release only comes close and ultimately falls short because the bright moments, most of them instrumental, merely interrupt the mainly sluggish performances of somewhat formulaic arrangements overseen by studio supervisor Dave Cobb. The man who’s produced Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell certainly has a recognizable style that includes pristine audio quality. But this Betts record, recorded in just five days at Cobb’s studio in Savannah, GA, suffers from too many ponderous instances like “Best Wishes.”