The hardest-working man in Americana,
Charley Crockett
decided to take a different approach on
The Man from Waco
: he took his touring band
the Blue Drifters
into the studio to cut their record direct to tape. Relying on the group's dexterous, energetic live energy frees
Crockett
to wander down many scenic byroads, lingering in areas that feel strangely familiar. No specific sound or style on
is new to
, yet the way he's flowing from cowboy ballads to Western swing to Southern soul gives the album a lucid, fresh feeling. The range of styles and vast openness of the arrangements suggest a Cinemascope Western that is intentional, too.
grouped his 15 originals around a loose thematic narrative chronicling the titular man from Waco on the run after an accidental killing. Knowledge of this dramatic undercurrent enhances the emotional thrust of the album, but the nice thing about
is that it can be enjoyed as a collection of sturdy individual songs, each an example of a certain mid-century roots music tradition. Taken one by one, the tracks are compelling short stories, but when assembled as an album, they gain a collective strength that carries a mighty wallop. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine