Album Review – Chancey Williams – “3rd Street”

If you take your country music traditional, but still want some drive and hooks to get the heart pumping and have a good time to—and especially if like it when your country comes with a Western and cowboy flavor—Chancey Williams is serving up just what you want straight out of Wyoming with his latest record 3rd Street.
A true rodeo cowboy who’s competed as a saddle bronc rider for years, Chancey Williams holds the unique distinction of being the only guy since Chris LeDoux to both ride and perform in the biggest rodeo competition of them all—Cheyenne’s Frontier Days. Chancey brings his real-world experiences to both lively songs and sentimental ballads that show off a sincere passion for country and Western while satiating a range of emotions for the audience. Think Aaron Watson, but perhaps a bit more on the narrow path of country music sonically.
Chancey Williams is what popular country music should sound like in 2020. It’s appeal is easy and its audience is wide, but it’s substantial enough to not feel like a guilty pleasure. Perhaps 3rd Street crosses a little too much into the commercial side of country with radio ready songs like “Tonight Were Drinkin'” or “Let It Go.” But there’s also just too many good ol’ cowboy songs like “Wyoming Wind,” “Meet Me in Montana,” and the opening song “The World Needs More Cowboys” to discount what Chancey Williams is doing here, which is taking Western themes, and making them accessible to a wide audience.

Pairing with Chancey for this record is producer and songwriter Trent Willmon who is known for writing songs for guys like Cody Johnson, Mo Pitney, and Eric Church, and was also raised on a ranch just like Chancey. They put together a record that went curiously under-the-radar in 2020 just as Chancey Williams signed with the big touring outfit WME, and was planning to make a major career leap this year until COVID put the crimp in those plans. Nonetheless, the effort in this studio album wasn’t lost.
Chancey Williams is backed by the Younger Brothers Band, which also includes one sister, and arguably Chancey’s Ace in the Hole when it comes to recording in the studio, or taking the stage. Fiddle player Brooke Latka is an award-winning Western musician who not only duets with Williams on one of the album’s best songs, “Meet Me in Montana,” she also offers some of the best instrumentals of the effort.
The lead guitar licks on 3rd Street are on fire, and are one of the record’s best attributes. But they also leap well into the arena rock realm in a couple of spots. It’s the flourishes of steel guitar and Brooke Latka’s fiddle that help ground this album in country and Western roots. Similarly, the writing of “College” featuring Kevin Fowler is a little silly, but coyly sentimental, and “Outlaw” may be a little too “we don’t like your kind around here” for some audiences. But these are balanced out by the more meaningful songs of the record like “Wyoming Wind” and “More Than Most.”
Country music is not a bad retirement plan for those aging rodeo stars who are tired of the aches and pains in the morning, but are used to the rigors of having to travel out on the road to earn their daily bread, and are addicted to entertaining people for a living. Chancey Williams isn’t the first, and hopefully won’t be the last. But he’s the one of the top at the moment that’s assembling big crowds and strong streaming numbers, and helping to put the Western back into country.
1 1/2 Guns Up (7.5/10)
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December 28, 2020 @ 8:58 am
I like it! Has a bit of a Kevin Fowler sound to it.
December 28, 2020 @ 8:59 am
Wyoming wind has been one of my top songs this year. Very soulful and the fiddle on it is perfect
December 28, 2020 @ 10:14 am
It’s definitely going on my playlist, but I still prefer Dan Seals and Marie Osmond singing Meet Me in Montana.
December 28, 2020 @ 2:49 pm
Yeah, I really like the musical setting of this version, but hard to top the vocals from Seals and Osmond. And Marie was THE bomb.
December 28, 2020 @ 9:14 am
As a fellow Wyominite, it is very cool to see Chancey get some well deserved exposure. These guys have been touring hard in the local area for years and I’ve always been hoping they would get some national exposure to help them take that next big step. Good review Trigger!
December 28, 2020 @ 10:15 am
One of my top ten albums of 2020, I think it has something for any Country fan, from the more commercial to the proper traditional side of things. Frustrating thing is getting more to take a ‘chance’ with it, you know how many would love it if they did!
December 28, 2020 @ 12:02 pm
I’m enjoying this album. Yeah, take the best of Aaron Watson and Kevin Fowler, and mix with a big helping of Chris Ledoux is a pretty good description.
December 28, 2020 @ 6:10 pm
Thanks a lot for the review, Trig.
I’ll give it a spin.
December 28, 2020 @ 8:33 pm
I still need to buy this album but it is one of my favorites of the year. I love Wyoming and the western culture it has. Great album, their album Rodeo and Cold Beer is good too!! Nice seeing them get some recognition on here.
December 29, 2020 @ 7:36 am
All the comments saying Chancey sounds like Kevin Fowler or Arron Watson are good comparisons. I have their last album Rodeo Cold Beer and had always just assumed they were from Texas. Never knew they were from Wyoming.
Good easy listening fun country music. Thanks
December 29, 2020 @ 9:58 am
One of my favorites of the year. I loved this album. Talented group of musicians. Remember seeing them at the Grizzly Rose here in Denver, opening up for several Red Dirt acts and covering “pumped up kicks” and thinking they really nailed it. Fun band. Fun shows. Glad to see them start to get big time.
December 29, 2020 @ 2:23 pm
I’m so glad you reviewed Chancey’s album!!! I’ve been following Chancey & YBB for about two years and he (they’re) the real deal!! Cowboy’s Girl is my favorite track, Wyoming Wind and Tonight We’re Drinking!! I’m glad he’s getting the recognition and an awesome review!! And yes, Brooke Latka is amazing too!! I hope that Chancey remains true to his roots!! Excellent album!! Such a vibe!
January 10, 2021 @ 9:55 am
I’ve been a fan of Chancey for a little over a year now, and I’m glad to see he and his band are starting to get more attention! They’re good!