Album Review – Charley Crockett’s “$10 Cowboy”

It definitely took longer than some. He’s certainly no overnight sensation, that is for sure. It’s the result of being one of the hardest working men in country music over the last many years that Charley Crockett has officially arrived. He’s no side stage act or opener anymore. Charley Crockett a feature artist and a franchise, and is personally responsible for putting classic country served with bursts of old-school blues, soul, and an incalculable cool factor at the forefront of American music.
Crockett may have made it to the top, but his new album $10 Cowboy isn’t about where he’s at. It’s about how he got here, the struggles he incurred, the setbacks he overcame, the perseverance he had to exhibit, and the characters and places he experienced along the way. It’s a road map, a travelogue, a cautionary tale, and an inspiring story of ultimate success told via three chords, and a diverse array of sounds that boldly pull from the entirety of the American roots music legacy.
Sometimes the problem with success is it satisfies your hunger. So as to not fall prey to this fate, Crockett took himself back to the streets for this album where he started as a busker singing his heart out for a ragged dollar. He put himself back in those moments of self-doubt and destitution, of strings of bad luck, of down stares from strangers, and of fleeting moments of grace. The harder it was, the more rejection and ridicule he faced, the more Crockett used it all fuel and provocation to prove everyone wrong, including the naysayer inside himself.
$10 Cowboy is mostly a country and Western album, but with interludes that could be taken from the soundtrack of a ’70s Blaxploitation flick. Crockett has always dabbled in soul, but a song like “America” puts you in the same mood as Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th St.,” or the theme from the Rocky movie. Ditto for “Gettin’ Tired Again,” and in some respects, “Solitary Road,” which makes you want to put on a pair of sweats and run seven miles while shadow boxing.
It wasn’t just in South Texas where Crockett cut his teeth. As he sings about, it was also in New York City, in L.A., and New Orleans where he found rejection, and the sounds of those streets make it onto this album. But don’t worry. The predominant sound is still country, as it’s always been with Charley. After all, there no better sound to accompany sad sack moments like the ones Crockett recounts in songs like “Hard Luck & Circumstances,” “Good At Losing,” and “Ain’t Done Losing Yet.”

Not all of $10 Cowboy is directly autobiographical though, or at least you hope it isn’t. The Western tune “Spade” about being the only survivor of a stick up and going on the run is certainly an adventure. But when Charley sings about the east Texas town of Tyler in “City of Roses,” you can tell this comes directly from the his story from the rich illustration he paints.
As is often the case with Charley Crockett albums, the writing is always solid, but almost never exceptional, favoring more to touch on the essence of themes as opposed to deep poetic explorations, or delving into involved or novel concepts. Take the song “America” for example. You almost want to make it into some sort of political commentary, but Crockett never exactly takes it there. He’s more about evoking a mood through the collaboration of words and music in songs that are originally-composed, yet instantly familiar in a way the wells emotion and nostalgia from the very first listen.
Crockett’s aided in this pursuit by $10 Cowboy co-producer and long-time collaborator Billy Horton, who also co-writes five on the album’s 11 original songs with Crockett. The album concludes with “Midnight Cowboy” (Willie Edwards), which aids in the album’s cinematic and faraway feel.
Along with calling upon the personnel of Crockett’s Blue Drifters backing band—including keyboard and trumpet player Kullen Fox—Billy and Charley also pulled from Austin’s rich talent pool to compose $10 Cowboy at the legendary Arlyn Studios, just around the corner from The legendary Continental Club. This includes guitarist Dave Biller, piano player T Jarrod Bonta, and Rich Brotherton of Robert Earl Keen fame.
It’s through trying to keep his humility, hunger, and perspective, not allowing the measure of himself to get ahead of his true worth, and trying to keep the same chip on his shoulder that Crockett’s had from the beginning that brings $10 Cowboy to life in a vibrant and engaging manner. $10 is a rather fleeting denomination in an inflationary economy. But as Crockett says in the title track, when you’re standing out on the street, it sure feels like a lot of money to get tipped by a passing stranger.
Never lose your hunger, or your sense of gratefulness, and the world will often turn your way, eventually. That is the story of Charley Crockett and $10 Cowboy.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
– – – – – – – –
Purchase from Charley Crockett
Purchase on Amazon
April 26, 2024 @ 9:42 am
Great album as expected.
This Cris Jacobs rips though!!
April 26, 2024 @ 10:30 am
Always happy when Charley releases a new record. Digging into it now. Been a few years since I’ve had a chance to see him and the Drifters live; can’t wait for the next show to come my way.
April 26, 2024 @ 11:10 am
We love Charlie Crocket and his music! We’ve got our tickets to see him in August, and we can’t wait So excited and happy that he’s coming to Georgia.
April 26, 2024 @ 12:11 pm
Love Charleys music so happy for him with his success he deserves it keep making beautiful music Charley god bless❤️❤️
April 26, 2024 @ 12:21 pm
A Country Willie Edwards song? Oh, hell yeah. I’ve always thought Charley got a lot of inspiration from him once he got to Austin.
April 28, 2024 @ 7:08 pm
It would do any aspiring artist to pay attention to Country Willie Edwards.
He is, simply put, one of the best artists in all of music.
April 26, 2024 @ 1:38 pm
These album reviews are completely useful and needed. An informed perspective helps the fans to understand their own opinion, or have a devils advocate perspective on it. Keep these coming.
April 26, 2024 @ 2:11 pm
I can’t think of another artist who has seemed to make it the way he has. It has been just pure force of nature, Putting out album after album, just grinding his way and it seemed like with each album he got a little further.
April 26, 2024 @ 3:54 pm
Great stuff from one of my favorites. Of the unreleased songs my favorites were City of Roses (up there with $10 Cowboy as the best on the record for me) and Midnight Cowboy, which I liken to a deep fried pickle, I just feel weirdly compelled to go back for more every time I finish.
There is some filler in here for me, but Charley has a very high floor and its all at least good. No skips.
April 26, 2024 @ 10:25 pm
“Midnight Cowboy”‘s author, Country Willie Edwards, is certainly not to be slept on, either. Willie is a wellspring.
April 26, 2024 @ 5:20 pm
Was hoping for a non-8/10-rated Ch. Cr. album but no bingo ????
April 26, 2024 @ 5:30 pm
GOOD TO HEAR SOMEONE THATS SINGS THAT OLD COUNTRY STYLE MUSIC ????????
I TELL EVERYONE TO GIVE HIM A LISTEN.
ALL THE WAY FROM HOLBROOK ARIZ????
April 26, 2024 @ 5:59 pm
Love love this album. It’s such a groove. Lead The Way is such a solid song. Midnight cowby, Spade, and Hard luck and circumstances is amazing as well. He may not hit many home runs but damnit he hits triples every time at bat.
April 26, 2024 @ 7:43 pm
After getting into his music a few years ago and getting the excellent live cd last year, I decided to pre-order this one to support him. Excellent album. Even the few that I don’t really like, are pretty good. He just tends to do some different styles that I’m not big into. The America song being one of them. But the fact he does do different stuff is one of his best assets. I agree with the review that his writing here isn’t what you would consider great but it’s solid. Far as the overall sound, it’s excellent. I wasn’t a real big fan of ten dollar cowboy when it first released on streaming, but hearing it on the cd, it just seemed to stand out more than it had previously. So I instantly became a fan. So for me, probably 4 songs that I wouldn’t listen to unless just listening to the album cause they aren’t so bad to skip except maybe lead the way. That sounds like a nightclub song. Kind of blusy but just not my thing but I know he likes the blues. Even then it’s not terrible. Hard luck may be my favorite, it and a couple others even give me that old hank Jr vibe from back around the mid to late 70s. If you like Charley before it won’t disappoint, if you didn’t probably won’t change your mind.
April 27, 2024 @ 2:01 am
Trigger, sorry to break into the current discussion but do you have anything to report on the pending release of the new Johnny Cash ‘Songwriter’ vinyl and CD that I believe will be coming, I think end May. Pete.
April 27, 2024 @ 7:14 am
I’m going to have something on this shortly.
April 27, 2024 @ 5:49 am
My thought after first listen was : if Curtis Mayfield were to.be born in Texas and decided to.cut a country album it would sound like this. Good stuff.
April 27, 2024 @ 8:05 am
I like the song America exactly because it DOESNT make some explicit BS political statement and hope his music stays that way.
April 28, 2024 @ 6:43 am
Here here!
April 27, 2024 @ 9:53 am
Great album so far that I’ve heard, love the song and video of Solitary Road, mostly shot in Waylon’s home town of Littlefield, TX, and him ending it at brother James liquor store and Museum, Waymores!
Trigger saw that you listed the band with Dave Biller on guitar, do you know if he plays steel too, was surprised not to see his road player Nathan Flemming credited, he’s such a great player, as is Dave!
Great review!
April 27, 2024 @ 1:04 pm
In the liner notes I have, Nathan Fleming as credited with “steel guitar” and no specific tracks listed, so I’d guess that means the entire album.
Dave Biller is credited with, “Electric Guitar Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 12, Bass Tracks 5, 9, String Arrangement Tracks 4, 5, 7, Acoustic Guitar Tracks 6, 7.”
April 27, 2024 @ 1:35 pm
Great, thanks, I didn’t see that before.
April 27, 2024 @ 5:58 pm
Whoa, hello. That dude can play. Early Wayne Hancock records are clinics. He had some dystonia in his hands these past few years. Glad he’s still recording.
Crockett is a stylist. It’s weird that his videos contain no people and that his songs are oddly anonymous.
April 29, 2024 @ 7:46 am
Your second comment is interesting. Please elaborate.
April 28, 2024 @ 3:42 pm
Biller is a go to of the Austin players. He’s on Wayne Hancock’s stuff, all the Horton Bros recordings, and just about anyone of the indie country Austin scene. He and T Jerod Bonta are go to guys when Billy Horton is involved. I’ve run across him over the years playing in various touring acts.
April 27, 2024 @ 12:33 pm
I’m calling it early for album of the year. Damn this is good. Lead the way is such a good song and the rest is just excellence.
April 27, 2024 @ 12:50 pm
If “Ten Dollar Cowboy” approximates “Rhinestone Cowboy” in importance,it should be a career-maker for Charley Crockett.
April 27, 2024 @ 1:42 pm
“Never lose your hunger, or your sense of gratefulness, and the world will often turn your way, eventually.”
I think that’s what marks the decline of so many artists. They lose touch of what drew fans to them in the first place. Charley’s seems like he’s trying to keep that hunger alive. Good for him.
April 28, 2024 @ 3:37 pm
Just spent 4 days in Nashville seeing lots of great pickers. Had to laugh, WSM was playing Ten Dollar Cowboy and my wife pointed up as we were driving, and behold it was Charley Crockett on the freaking billboard advertising ” Ten Dollar Cowboy”. No joke, as if that wasn’t subtle, we were walking towards Robert’s and low and behold Crockett has had someone with a stencil and black spray paint putting his name on the sidewalk panels! Good lord!!
This man markets himself so heavily. Never seen anything like it. And it’s working because he’s popping up on the biggest stages now. Proof that some hard work and self promotion can pay off.
April 27, 2024 @ 9:54 pm
Charley Crockett is a man of focus, commitment, and sheer will.
April 28, 2024 @ 6:48 am
Finally saw him at 2 Step and am hooked. Will try to get into the album release party tomorrow – $10 cover. Man in this economy that’s unheard of. I get why but still so very cool he is doing that. As much as I love his music, I was caught totally off guard by how much his stage presence exuded ‘cool’ as well. Had also failed to realize that Kullen Fox was one person not two playing both instruments simultaneously! Totally bad-arse in every way-
April 28, 2024 @ 3:58 pm
The fourth paragraph refers to the album as “ $10 Guitar”.
April 28, 2024 @ 5:54 pm
Charley Crockett is the best thing going right now. Just my opinion. Love this album and it is my early album of the year favorite. Just an album I want to crank up on a long drive. Good At Losing is a song on the album I find myself coming back to over and over.
I know some don’t like Charley’s voice but like was mentioned earlier, Charley is a stylist. And I think that is something missing in modern country music. He does it his own way and I respect that. I also love the blend of hardcore country mixed with blues and soul. It never gets stale with Charley. In addition to the music he is making, he puts on a fantastic live show. He brings it every night. At the end of the day, he has done it his way and he has done it the slow hard way. Working his tail off and slowly climbing the ladder. Makes his success even sweeter.
This is a great album by a great artist. I’m happy to be around right now experiencing the music of Charley Crockett in real time.
April 30, 2024 @ 10:12 am
It is a very very good album. His sound is unique.
April 30, 2024 @ 10:57 pm
This is a good review of an instantly enjoyable album, which I’d rank with The Man from Waco and Welcome to Hard Times as a cut above the various other Crocketts I’ve heard.
May 1, 2024 @ 1:42 am
To give some idea of his popularity with a diverse audience, my two daughters (20 & 25) are English, live in Central London and would die rather than listen to Country music–it’s all techno, House or thrash metal for them. But. They *love* CC (probably because I’ve obliged them to listen to it in the background for 5 years!) and are currently listening to this album on repeat so they can sing along when they see him here next week.
Amazing that CC has 1.4m listeners per month on Spotify. 4-5 years ago it was about 25,000 in a good month. He has talent, a great voice and works hard. Good luck to him. Oh, and Nathan is the best pedal steel player out there at the moment, IMO.
May 2, 2024 @ 12:14 am
I recognize these songs from the live performance I attended here in Brisbane, Australia.
It was a superb display of showmanship, musicianship and great songs.
He’s welcome back “Down-Under” any time he likes.
May 5, 2024 @ 8:46 am
At the rate he releases albums I keep waiting to be underwhelmed. However, he keeps blasting past my expectations finding new ways to keep it feeling fresh. He is such an amazing storyteller and mood setter. This album feels intimate and revealing but never maudlin.