Album Review – Cameron Wrinkle’s “In My Heaven”

Forget all of the close approximations and hyphenated hybrids of country music, or the sappy singer/songwriter “Americana” stuff for a moment. When it comes to Cameron Wrinkle, he’s a straight-down-the-middle textbook definition COUNTRY artist with no wiggle room to spare. It’s the kind of country that is unabashed and unapologetic in a way that makes you feel warm and assured that all is right in the world when you listen.
In other eras, an album like In My Heaven would have you labeled as out-of-touch or fuddy duddy. It’s too much like George Strait. But now that country is cool again in country music, an artist and songwriter like Cameron Wrinkle is ripe for discovery and full of upside potential. This is a perfect moment for him to release a debut album that is worthy of sparking a national conversation.
A 5th generation musician for the tiny town of Tscola, Texas, Cameron Wrinkle started playing fiddle at the age of three and competed in fiddle competitions growing up. By the age of nine he was picking guitar and writing his first songs. After high school Wrinkle started traveling to Nashville to refine his chops and write with some of the legendary songwriters in the business. Cameron spent over three years in Music City paying dues before pointing his nose back to Texas.
Wrinkle scares you a little bit with the opening song called “I’ve Got a Thang.” A slightly different musical approach and you could hear a list song like this playing on Hot Country 98.1. But the seven other songs on this short but sweet album are a testament to the appeal and beauty of traditional country with all those turns of phrases and double entendres that are the perfect compliment to love and heartbreak songs.

If you’re feeling rosy, the sweet and reminiscent “The Day You Walked In” might be right up your alley, or perhaps “In My Heaven,” which if we’re being honest, is a song idea that’s been done plenty before. But like all great country music, when Cameron Wrinkle starts to sing about heartbreak, that’s when it really hits home, whether your heart happens to be broken or not.
The Western Swing-influenced “I Can’t Take Me Anywhere” is a mighty fine specimen of Texas-inspired country music, and is one of the four songs co-written by Wrinkle on the album. “Takin’ This Leaving Too Far” is the kind of song every other artist and songwriter hears, and kicks themselves for not writing and recording first.
The flamenco-style guitar of “Off The Record” gives this songwriter’s song the perfect flair, while the time changes and tasteful steel guitar really helps you feel the emotion of “Breakfast of a Fool.” Everything is squared away, buttoned up, and in proper order on In My Heaven. Even though the approach might not be entirely novel and some of the early songs on the album a little sappy, it finishes strong and the writing is original.
Years ago you would almost have pity for a young man like Cameron Wrinkle for being cursed with the penchant to perform traditional country. But today he embodies the kind of sound and authenticity that many are searching for and others are trying to emulate. A great country voice with some serious songwriting chops to go along with it, Cameron Wrinkle hopefully has a bright future ahead of himself in country music. And if Cameron Wrinkle is involved, country music will have a bright future too.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
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October 27, 2023 @ 7:53 am
Nice to see young guys leaning into country again, BUT there’s only one George Strait. He needs to take about a half step back.
October 27, 2023 @ 6:14 pm
There is more than one George Strait out there. I would argue there is just one George Jones. Strait´s voice is good, but not great, and doesn´t have the phrasing to these ears of a George Jones, or a Lefty Frizzell, Willie Nelson, or John Anderson.
October 27, 2023 @ 10:25 pm
look up Australian artist Roo Arcus, the Australian sounding george strait
October 27, 2023 @ 8:18 am
Interesting, I missed this. Didn’t make it onto the release radar. Thanks for sharing.
October 27, 2023 @ 9:13 am
LOL…….. That’s why you’re the best Trig as we’re all sifting through the days releases Flatland, Mike Kuster, and others, you throw this Wrinkle into the mix…..err no pun intended. I never stopped smiling throughout the entire thing. This is good….real good, like you said no hybrids, no genre bending, or wondering if he’s gonna throw that curveball in. Just fuckin’ Country!!! It made my morning. See that album cover? I didn’t yawn, I love it!
October 27, 2023 @ 9:27 am
This album is fine, but I hate that 90s country has become the standard for “real country” for you and others lately.
October 27, 2023 @ 9:45 am
I wouldn’t call this “90s country.” There is definitely some of that in here, but the two songs I highlighted I think represent traditional country from just about any era. Unlike some “throwback” country artists, Cameron Wrinkle doesn’t distress the signals to make it sound older than it is. One of the things that emblematic of 90s country is everything was rendered clean like this album is. But 90s country was more lead guitar driven compared to some of the songs here. The 90s were also the last era that traditional country was popular. But that doesn’t make it the only era when traditional country was popular.
October 27, 2023 @ 10:01 am
Are we not living in one of those eras?
October 27, 2023 @ 7:21 pm
Two songs in and it sounds more like the “If you Ain’t Lovin” & “Beyond the Blue Neon” era of Strait.
October 27, 2023 @ 7:28 pm
This sounds a lot more like the 80s than the 90s
October 27, 2023 @ 10:03 am
A minute into the the first song I knew it had to get better…. Was caught off guard there.
October 27, 2023 @ 12:03 pm
I like what I heard here way more than I do half the artists spotlighted on SCM.
October 27, 2023 @ 6:50 pm
I couldn’t agree more. It’s nice to read a recommendation for a country album for a change.
October 28, 2023 @ 6:05 am
I like this. Don’t know if I love it. I’ll have to give the rest of the album a listen. The songs highlighted do sound as if they were recorded 20 years ago. Not sure if that was intentional in the production or not. Someone to keep an eye on for the future. Thanks.
October 28, 2023 @ 7:17 am
Guess isbella would have recorded this when he was 4
October 28, 2023 @ 9:31 am
This was pretty good. I heard a little Mark Chesnutt in there and tracy Byrd. he should be more like them cause they had more balls and edge than George Strait… strait sounds like hes got a rod up his butt and has no aggression
October 28, 2023 @ 11:32 am
You could be taken more serious if you didn’t have the guy that put out Honky tonk badonkadonk and brown chicken brown cow in your name
October 28, 2023 @ 4:07 pm
He’s also the guy who did Every Light in the house is on and his tremendous Celtic Christmas album. Those are proof of his talent that tray surpasses George Snoozeville Strait
October 29, 2023 @ 5:00 am
Trace also sang “Till the Last Shot’s Fired” and “Welcome to Hell,” which are two of the most badass country songs.
Of course, “Last Shot” mentions a Civil War battle, so it is probably cancelled.
October 31, 2023 @ 10:07 am
You’re right that is a great song. Also it mention the Civil War from the South’s perspective so that really makes it cancellable
October 29, 2023 @ 9:11 am
George Strait is one of the greats, no reservations at all. I’d take his “snoozefests” over Toby’s belligerent trailer park music any day.
October 28, 2023 @ 5:41 pm
Sounds interesting,though once more you are deeply wrong with your definition of “Americana” which is defined by artists like David Bromberg and Ry Cooder, not even remotely by Isbell.