We review the new record ‘The Valley’ from Charley Crockett out now on Thirty Tigers in the UK.
Charley Crockett is one of the most eclectic and extraordinary characters in music right now. He is one of those artists for whom the art and music itself appears to be at the forefront of everything he does. It appears self-evident that he has imbibed a rich and lush history of American musical heritage throughout his travels, as he said speaking to us earlier this year, ‘I like to think of my Texas and Louisiana upbringing, that’s what’s really made me.’ This record is full of all the elements that make up both Crockett, and American music generally – from busking in the streets of Louisiana to his Texan upbringing to Dallas blues, it’s all here. The result reads almost as a love letter to his country and its musical heritage – a stunning homage.
The record opens with a sense of immediacy with ‘Borrowed Time’ in a rush that is evocative of walking straight into the throes of a honky tonk. The musicality of the band is superb and feels incredibly ‘live’ in its recording. Part roots music, part country, part blues, Crockett manages to navigate all these genres and creates his own unique blended genre that is both stunningly contemporary and traditional right from the first notes of this album.
This album marks a shift in Crockett’s music. He himself describes the record as ‘more autobiographical. I’ve gone through some life-changing stuff with my health and all that, so it’s very personal to me. They all are, but this one’s got the deepest roots in it that I’ve been able to set.‘ That sense of urgency is solidified in this record that demonstrates, in a way, how Crockett wants to be remembered through his music. Nowhere is this more evident than in the title track of the record ‘The Valley.’ Here Charley Crockett sings of ‘My Daddy didn’t know me, my brother rolled the dice, my Mama kept on working, and my sister paid a price.’ The lyrics are simple, marrying the two-step of the song, and the result is effortless.
The pace of the record picks up next with ‘5 More Miles’ that appears built for a live rendition at a barn dance. The fiddle is killer and the tune is full of energy. ‘It’s Nothing to Me’ has a similarly vibrant, moving feel – though the tempo is slower – as does ‘7 Come 11’ that deliver in energy, even when the theme is despondent. With ‘10,000 Acres,’ Crockett returns to a field of pain. This is a quintessential picture of heartbreak, made all the more tender with the heavy but thoughtful use of pedal steel teardrops. You’d be forgiven for thinking this was a cover taken from a traditional country album, for the tune is rooted so firmly in the past and the lyrics are universally relatable and true. Despite the pedal steel though, the track is infused heavily with a blues tone that makes it original and special.
Throughout the album, Crockett’s satisfaction with the simpler things in life is clear, nowhere is this more evident than in ‘The Way I’m Livin’ (Santa Rosa).’ The tempo bounces here as Crockett sings of being happy with his busking, rambling life. ‘Big Gold Mine’ seizes again on the theme, being happy with a simple life in exchange for love. Whilst there are hopeful quieter tunes like these, elsewhere the tone is far more despondent or nostalgic. ‘Excuse Me’ sings of lost love. ‘They just don’t know lost I feel without you, my teardrops never see the light of day.’ The theme is so classically country, the song almost reads as a homage to the foundations of the genre itself. This sentiment is similarly mirrored in the tone of both ‘Maybelle’ and ‘River of Sorrow,’ whilst ‘9 Lb Hammer’ and ‘Motel Time Again’ paint a more explicit return to his musical heritage.
Throughout the record, Crockett appears to be facing both his past and America’s musical past, sorting through the stories of his life and infusing them with all the musical elements he was raised on. It is a record that, though it will not break any records in the mainstream sector, will be fallen in love with by people who know and treasure music and musical heritage. No-one appears to love this heritage more so than Crockett himself.
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Editor’s Picks:
Borrowed Time
The Valley
Maybelle
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