Album Review – Charley Crockett’s – “The Man From Waco”
Like ferreting through your grandfather’s old belongings, and unearthing a rare collection of 78s representing a sumptuous cross-section of bygone American music that despite the dated verbiage and vintage styles, feels vibrant and fresh as ever as it hits your ears that have been rendered voracious from the the vacuous audio offerings of the here and now, Charley Crockett has assembled a voluminous discography in a relatively short span that continues to mesmerize in it’s scope, breath, and quality, with his latest offering The Man From Waco fitting right in line with his run of impressive output.
It is clear to see that Charley Crockett has become one of the most popular artists in independent country and roots music. You see it in the way he packs out venues coast to coast, how he’s slotted at the top of festival lineups, and in the way he continues to dominate independent Americana radio with the #1 album and the #1 song on the format now for multiple weeks. Charley Crockett’s ascension is also evident in the way the skeptics and naysayers come out of the woodwork to lambast his name whenever it’s uttered, once again underscoring how the #1 adversity to your cool factor in independent country is success.
“Charley Crockett is a put-on! He’s an act!” they chide. Well of course there’s an element of characterization going on here, as there is with all country artists, but especially for Charley Crockett. He is like a chameleon of vintage American music, shape shifting into characters, eras, and genres, with his songs like little seances where the souls of his protagonists are evoked through his stories and settings to come alive in your mind’s eye, enhanced by the high proficiency of both himself and his backing band The Blue Drifters to interpret most any genre in American roots music with ease.
Charley Crockett took a bit of a different approach to The Man From Waco compared to his previous original albums. All the songs are written or co-written by him as opposed to working in a cover or two, or three. He also recorded the album with his Blue Drifters alone as opposed to bringing in a bevy of side players. He also switched producers from Billy Horton to his manager Bruce Robison, and recorded the album at Bruce’s recording studio outside of Austin called The Bunker.
This album is also loosely conceptualized, with a theme song bookending the project, and an inspiration in the legendary country music performer James Hand roughly sketching “The Man From Waco” idea. But after listening through the album a few times, it’s tough to glean any truly cohesive narrative tying the songs and stories together. What you do find is some really compelling individual story songs, with many of the album’s tracks evoking geography in a very purposeful manner to move these stories forward.
With a well-traveled history at his dispose, Charley Crockett names of cities and places with ease, making much of this album like a travelogue, from “Tom Turkey” dropping the names of towns in New Mexico, to Crockett treading out a fan favorite in “Trinity River” originally from his 2015 album A Stolen Jewel. On this journey, Crockett smoothly transitions from Western (“Man From Waco,” “Horse Thief Mesa”) to old school country soul (“Tom Turkey,” “I’m Just a Clown”) and classic country (“Just Like Honey,” “Black Sedan”). It’s an audio album, but the experience is very visual.
Since the styles Charley Crockett works in are always pre-70s, the songwriting is plainspoken, and for some audiences, maybe a little too simple. It’s this songwriting element—along with how prolific he is—that has worn some out on the whole Charley Crockett experience. Where many songwriters ruminate for two or more years on their ten song albums, Charley Crockett is dropping 15 tracks every six months. Everyone can appreciate the hustle, but it’s an open question if more is less, especially with the elementary approach Crockett takes to music.
But Charley Crockett is not here to wow you with his complex poetry, or to croon out love sonnets with a stellar voice. He’s more interested in trying to get you lost in nostalgia, style, and story with the intent to entertain. In the album’s most popular track and lead single “I’m Just a Clown,” Crockett says, “…everybody knows, that when you purchase a ticket, you expect to get a show…”
That’s what Charley Crockett delivers for the audience: an experience apart from the mundanity of the present that a growing number of people appreciate. There are better songwriters and singers out there for sure, and maybe people who’ve mastered a more specific discipline. But there is only one Charley Crockett whose adept at them all, and leaves an audience wickedly entertained, if they allow themselves to be.
1 1/2 Guns Up (7.5/10)
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September 12, 2022 @ 11:01 am
This review and score surprised me. This is a two guns up album of the year to my ears. My favorite Charley album to date.
September 12, 2022 @ 12:05 pm
“The Valley” and “Welcome to Hard Times” are going to be hard to beat, but I can’t wait to sit down and listen to this one.
September 12, 2022 @ 11:40 am
It’s a 10/10. History will prove he’s unmatched in his generation, and this record will haunt his peers for decades. I thought I’d hate the album, but alas, it’s a masterpiece. I’m truly shocked by the rating here.
September 12, 2022 @ 11:47 am
I did not know Charley had so many naysayers. I suspect many of them would change their tune if they saw him live — he puts on an incredible show.
September 12, 2022 @ 12:08 pm
Seen him live at least twice that I remember (once opener, once headliner). Still a naysayer. I just can’t get over the gimmick-y-ness of the act. He lays it on a little too thick for my blood. I get that it’s no different than a handful of other artists, but i’ll be over here at the station while the rest of y’all ride that train.
September 12, 2022 @ 2:52 pm
Saw him back in 2018 with about 50 other people. He put on an incredible show. I hope he’s still as humble and gracious as he was that night.
September 13, 2022 @ 5:05 am
Saw him live. Still a naysayer. He’s hokey and doesn’t have a great voice. Live he was very pitchy, dog. Simon, Randy and Paula would not approve.
September 13, 2022 @ 10:48 am
You know what opinions are like….
September 12, 2022 @ 12:16 pm
I can’t express the amount of severe criticism I have received over the last year here any time I mention Charley Crockett, who also happens to be the Saving Country Music reigning Artist of the Year. I definitely didn’t grade the album with that in mind, but I did write the review in an attempt to answer some of the critics, who so far have been mum, or are two busy on 4 Chan at the moment to pipe up.
I think this is a really solid album. I wouldn’t read the rating as negative. It’s just a rating. I hope the review conveyed how important and unique I believe Charley Crockett is as an artist, and that this is another quality offering from him.
September 12, 2022 @ 1:39 pm
I’m a Crockett supporter, I bought the album (digitally) and just bought tickets to see him live again, but I’m also a “naysayer” insofar as that I have to say his schtick and vocal style are starting to run dry for me and this new album isn’t exactly “flipping the script” or anything.
I wasn’t gonna post here today, in part because a comment I wrote and “posted” under a Crockett review last time never actually went live – I assumed you were filtering out the critical commentary.
Maybe the “naysayers” just don’t care enough anymore to make any more comments about Crockett one way or another. At this point when half the review is just addressing or countering honest criticism from the “naysayers”, is that really much of an endorsement for the actual artist or album itself? Like, what else is there to say about this artist apart from how divisive he seems to be to the SCM readership? Not much, apparently.
September 12, 2022 @ 2:46 pm
Sorry your previous comment did not post. I certainly wasn’t filtering anyone’s comments on Charley Crockett. If you check all my posts on him over the last year, the vast majority of comments are negative. Sometimes with so many comments, things get lost in the shuffle. If you see a comment not post, always feel free to reach out with an email and I’ll look for it.
I did not write this review for angry SCM commenters. However, I do read comments and take them seriously, even if I disagree. Understanding the sentiment around an artists is important to putting it in the context of our time, and that is what I tried to do here.
September 12, 2022 @ 3:10 pm
All good. Thanks, Trigger.
September 12, 2022 @ 5:22 pm
The schtick and the weird ,hollow vocal style is all I hear when I try to listen to this guy. I don’t get the hype.
September 12, 2022 @ 5:41 pm
I’m curious what you mean by hollow vocal style.
September 12, 2022 @ 5:45 pm
I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing him live, so I can’t speak to the shtick. But everybody keeps saying his persona is a put-on. Similar to Paul Cauthen in a way – another one I’ve never seen live. But Charley seems sincere to me in his artistry.
September 12, 2022 @ 7:02 pm
I don’t know how to better describe it. Some weird resonance or something? Like when you blow over an empty bottle. Subtle maybe. The schtick on the other hand is almost tangible. Parody seeming, as some have already mentioned.
September 12, 2022 @ 8:03 pm
Parody would infer at least a little disdain for the genre, which i think couldn’t be more incorrect when describing Charley Crockett. He’s no Daniel Romano or Ryan Adams. It seems obvious to me that he loves country music.
I think his voice gets a little better with every release. I couldn’t stand his voice when he released “Lonesome as a Shadow”. It was like he tried seeing what would happen if he leaned into marble mouth, but I’ve enjoyed the groove he’s settled into vocally since that one.
September 13, 2022 @ 10:58 am
Thus the word “seeming.” As in, you’re right…he’s not mocking it, but it’s so blatant and extreme it almost “seems” that way. Anyway, enjoy listening to him…there are plenty of artists I like that others don’t.
September 13, 2022 @ 4:11 pm
Parody doesn’t equal mocking.
The Austin Powers movies parodied James Bond but the writers of the movies loved the Bond series.
par·o·dy
/ˈperədē/
Learn to pronounce
noun
an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect
September 12, 2022 @ 3:55 pm
Among SCM commentars there can never be one artist we all agree on. Maybe Hank Sr? Maybe Waylon? Can we find common ground on anyone?!
Crocketts stage persona, throwback styling, former hip-hop background, and rudimentary singing style seem to be the complaints we hear.
But there are a fair amount of us who see something in him. For me, i like the old timey throwback honky-tonk vibe. I like the simple songwriting and his baritone delivery. I love the covers of great classic songs hes done. To me, his sincerity and reverence for the music is unquestioned. Look, the guy aint getting wealthy off of this. Hes making a living at best.
As for the music, its sounds good to these ears. Love his pedal steel player. Will give the album a listen.
September 12, 2022 @ 2:10 pm
I saw him open for the Turnpike Troubadours in Philly.
He was OK. His whole related to Davy Crockett shtick was amusing for a bit but I mostly spent his set waiting for it to be over.
I admire his hustle. He regularly produces material which I respect more than some musicians who waste years not releasing good songs because they aren’t “perfect.” But his style is an act and like all performers of his ilk, his reception depends on if you like the gag or not. For some, it feels like a parody.
September 12, 2022 @ 2:35 pm
Regarding the “parody” aspect, there is a vague “minstrel” quality to this artist that his main fanbase (which I’d argue is not always a genuine country music fanbase – based on the crowds I see at his club shows on the east coast) seems to be enamored with.
The sort of backwoods “aw-shucks ya’ll” banter with the big toothy grin, with the retro outfits. It’s walking a fine line for sure. The unfortunate aspect of all this is that while you can say he’s a savvy and hardworking entertainer, you’d be hard pressed to call him a particularly good singer or songwriter. Everything’s got it’s place though, and I’ll always congratulate this artist for making a niche for himself.
September 13, 2022 @ 9:32 am
Maybe the right word is “medicine show”? This is where Hank Sr has his origins. I’ve seen him (Charley) twice and I actually was astonished by the diversity of the crowd. It reminded me of Cash and Willie. There were good ol boys hollering all over the place. The “country audience” you’re referring to doesn’t really exist at this point. What artist would currently fit that bill for you? He’s so polarizing with this SCM crowd that I was admittedly both intrigued and skeptical initially, but when I saw him in Detroit last year he was so good it was scary. Almost unbelievable. Seems like a lot of artists get a pass on this page for playing the “I don’t give a shit” card. The rating here and even the review itself seems like a reaction to the naysayers more then a real look at this album. Just my 2 cents.
September 13, 2022 @ 6:41 pm
….”The “country audience” you’re referring to doesn’t really exist at this point. What artist would currently fit that bill for you?”….
Good point. The closest thing to a purely rural crowd these days, would probably be at a traditional Bluegrass festival. Although I haven’t been to one in years, so I couldn’t say for sure.
The only concert I’ve been to in the last decade was a Daily and Vincent show in Branson. It appeared to be a mostly rural crowd, and the only person under 40 in the audience was my son. But to be clear, when I say mostly rural, I’m not talking about rednecks and good ol boys; I’m talking about straight-laced old ladies and gentlemen; the kind that probably had to get up for church the next day, and wouldn’t typically utter a cuss word unless they got real, real mad; the kind of people who slick their hair back and wear pearl-snap shirts from Wal-Mart unironically. My kind of crowd.
September 12, 2022 @ 2:46 pm
I don’t think he has really portrayed himself as anything he’s not? There’s a short documentary on him from his latest album release where he describes playing on the streets of New Orleans and New York subways for change. About how he is a student of classic soul, country, gospel, and blues. If anything, his appearance pays homage and tribute to those heroes of his. I’ll gladly take that over some shitty square -toed boot wearing guy singing about life on a ranch with a truck.
September 12, 2022 @ 4:49 pm
A cowboy can still perform an exaggerated version of his heritage for consumption. I call it the Cracker Barrel effect. Cracker Barrel sells actual Southern food but it comes with a commercial vibe. It is why my grandfather never liked the place.
The best example is Everyone Loves Raymond. Many of the storylines were real life incidents dressed up and inflated for the comedy. The events happened but they were expanded to be exciting for television.
I like both Cracker Barrel and Everyone Loves Raymond. I generally like Crockett too.
The thing is, anytime someone performs a culture from the past that no matter how authentic it is going to feel more theatrical than some modern guy behaving like a modern person. Because the modern is common and recognizable. I agree that a modern country singer singing about driving around a ranch with a jacked up truck is corny marketing. But it is something that can be seen. Behaving like a singer from the 1960s isn’t.
The line between authenticity and artificial blurs. It is easy to understand why some people would be skeptical of Crockett’s act.
September 13, 2022 @ 5:25 pm
Well said, but I was going to ask you how you would’ve reacted to Dwight Yoakam back in the day. But you probably weren’t there. Dwight dressed up, and he had a story, but the difference is, Dwight was a great writer. Charley is an okay writer. His band is better than he is, and his image is better than he is. If he can rise above his own Cracker Barrel decor, like Dwight, he’s more than welcome to the table. At least, this is why I remain on the fence, too.
September 14, 2022 @ 7:45 am
Corncaster,
Love Dwight but his heyday was slightly before my time of understanding perception and motivation.
I am not concerned if someone wants to put on an act. Musicians are entertainers. Authenticity certainly is reassuring but George Strait is still a legend even if he didn’t write most of his hit songs. But Strait never acted like anything but a good old boy from Texas.
Eric Church definitely has a persona but his music has generally been good so I am OK with it. I just ignore the whole Outsider shtick.
I believe there is a great deal of truth to Crockett’s backstory but he certainly exaggerates the effect. But he found a niche in the arena of musical glut.
For most country people, our culture is lampooned by popular media or considered unworthy. We rarely receive a fair shake. So when hipsters put on a costume, folks are going to be leery about their intentions.
September 12, 2022 @ 4:00 pm
Saw him last week at Hopscotch fest and loved it. My first show of his. The band was very tight, and Charley (as has been mentioned many times on this site) puts on a great show.
He didn’t overdo the “schtick” at all.
While I go back and forth about the corniness of his act when at full throttle, I felt myself completely give into the moment and embrace it… caught up in the vibes of a good live show.
They seamlessly drifted in and out of many musical flavors… from country to western to blues to cajun to R&B and back… and I began to accept him as just “the sum of all his influences” (as we all kind of are), rather than some hustler ripping off other characters with nostalgia.
There are much worse things.
Don’t listen to his albums a ton, ’cause I can get enough of them pretty quickly, but will definitely catch him next time he’s around.
September 12, 2022 @ 12:06 pm
Wow, this review surprised me too. This was a 10/10 for me. Far and above my favorite album from Charley to date. More of a western sound than country. Feels like you’re in a movie while it’s playing.
September 12, 2022 @ 1:07 pm
Really glad this album is resonating with folks. If it’s a 10/10 for you, that’s all that matters.
September 12, 2022 @ 12:32 pm
I love Charley and I reviewed this album myself for my show and a german website. And I totally agree with the 7.5/10. It’s a good solid album, but not as strong as the last ones which were all 10s. But that’s not a problem at all. With 2 records a year I am pretty sure the next 10 is right coming ahead.
September 12, 2022 @ 12:36 pm
This dude works his ass off and puts our quality hits and hits not just some filler crap, he puts all these other artist to shame, artist that I love. Makes them look so pretentious like Sturgil saying he’s only putting out X amount of albums or even Childress new album..like Tyler your really just gonna give us 4 new tracks?? I know to each it’s own but we can’t deny how hard this dude works and the quality of great music that comes from it.
September 12, 2022 @ 5:30 pm
Charley Crockett is the hardest working guy in country music. Two albums a year and he’s always on tour.
September 13, 2022 @ 10:45 am
Can’t argue with that
March 6, 2024 @ 5:54 am
I don’t know how I missed hearing any of Charley Crockett’s music?!
Seen him on channel 11.1- IPBS-TV., Austin City Limits!!
I’m in love!! Charley’s definitely my favorite! Keep ‘em coming Charley Crockett!! Love your music, outfits, and music!!
I agree!! Charley works his tail off, sounds like to me?! I’m praying Charley makes it out there, in the music world!! LOVE YOU CHARLEY!!
I’ve ordered 4-5 cd’s! Can’t wait till they get here!
September 12, 2022 @ 12:41 pm
I’m in the ‘more is more’ crowd. Better a feast than famine IMO… unless it’s junk food.
September 12, 2022 @ 12:43 pm
I thought “Just like Honey “ sounded like Bruce Robison. Makes sense he produced it. (And we are way overdue for new music from Bruce).
September 12, 2022 @ 12:50 pm
When you find out your grandpa was actually a pasty white minority man with a lisp who avoids singing on pitch like a drifter avoids a day job – you have Charley Crockett
September 14, 2022 @ 7:49 am
‘pasty’
does honky have two handles on here?
September 14, 2022 @ 11:36 am
Laughing.
This is funny.
Not laughing at you Honky.
But, for everything gentile could be saying on here, the last few days, this definitely brought a laugh, & a smile
September 12, 2022 @ 1:05 pm
“the songwriting is plainspoken, and for some audiences, maybe a little too simple. It’s this songwriting element—along with how prolific he is—that has worn some out on the whole Charley Crockett experience.”
Well said, sums up how i feel about ol charley. Good background music but the writing seems simplistic and repetitive, especially when he puts out 394 songs every year. I liked welcome to hard times but don’t rlly have the bandwidth for more charley. He does kill it live though.
The jeremy pinnell album from 11 months ago rips
September 12, 2022 @ 1:08 pm
It is a solid album. I liked the sound and production. Charley and his band are killing it.
September 12, 2022 @ 1:13 pm
I’m liking this one more than his last two original albums, both of which I liked just fine. I prefer when he mixes his roots music up a bit and I think he does that here.
September 12, 2022 @ 1:48 pm
It’s a 10/10 for me too. I haven’t liked most of Crockett’s output before now and even going back I am still not moved by much of it. But this one is really, really good. After playing it all weekend I’m convinced it’s in the conversation for album of the year and up there (for me) with the breakout albums from Sturgill, Tyler, and Cody.
If I have a knock on it, I will say that the way the songs are laid out seems to promise listeners a concept album that never actually materializes. But, I hope Crockett continues with this team of producers and musicians for a long time.
September 12, 2022 @ 1:56 pm
I have yet to buy a full album from Charley, partially due to *just how many* he has released, though I’ve liked most of what I’ve heard, with a few reservations. I’m admittedly a latecomer– only found out about him two years ago. For a while, I wasn’t sure if he were mostly doing a schtick, and, perhaps, cynically playing to the “I’m sick of radio pop-country” people (like me). Upon further thought, this didn’t seem too likely, though, given that if he were the cynical kind, and just wanted to find a big, ready-made audience, he could do that much more easily simply *writing and playing* radio pop-country, or having it written for him. In any event, when I saw the recent mini-documentary about him on Youtube, which accompanied the release of this new album, it was clear that he is the real deal. He’s not doing a schtick, or playing a role in which he doesn’t truly believe. He’s a genuine artist who *genuinely loves* old-school country, old-school soul, the blues, and other classic styles, and this is reflected in his music and videos. I do wish that he would slow down, and work a bit more on his songwriting. I am definitely a fan now, though, and will be buying this new album and catching up with more of his full back catalogue.
September 12, 2022 @ 3:43 pm
This album was definitely a grower for me. First listen through only had two or three that I really liked, but listening again it’s hard to find a song I don’t like. I’m definitely in the more is more camp when it comes to Crockett’s output. Seeing him at Floore’s in November can’t wait.
September 12, 2022 @ 3:53 pm
So is this elementary writing?
I came here all the way from Atlanta
With nothing but losing to my name
I saw Shreveport through a window
Against a curtain made of pines
I was cryin’ when I made Dallas
So much you’d have thought it was rain
I pulled in to the town of Amarillo
To buy myself a little bit of relief
I thought I saw her as I passed Gallup
Standing outside the El Rancho
But I was mistaken
My imagination was just playin’ tricks on me
It sure is awful hot here in Phoenix
The land of the painted desert sky
Where they’re yet to discover or uncover the Dutchman’s gold
I hear tell of a fountain in the Superstition Mountains
It’s a story that is very well told
I find myself crossing the great Mojave
Steady keeping the red and white lights company
She was born in Houston raised up in Tennessee
But she lived in Georgia with me
So if you see her would you please tell her
I’m all the way from Atlanta
I’m all the way from Atlanta
I cried all the way from Atlanta
September 13, 2022 @ 3:29 am
Yeah, it is.
Crying has never seemed like rain. No idea why every hack writer has used rain as a metaphor.
Rain is amazing and makes things grow (including corn for whisky, that makes everyone frisky), tears are unproductive.
Charley seems like a great guy. He is definitely missing something that i listen for, BUT still respect his effort.
September 13, 2022 @ 6:21 am
Ouch! That response is as cold as February rain
September 13, 2022 @ 6:35 am
It doesn’t rain in February where I live… 😀
September 13, 2022 @ 12:06 pm
Axl would say Cold November Rain!
September 13, 2022 @ 2:43 pm
But did it make your tears fall like rain?
September 13, 2022 @ 6:40 am
Rain can be horrible when you get 8 inches in 2 hrs and your house washes into the river.
September 13, 2022 @ 8:02 pm
Yep.
That would totally suck.
September 12, 2022 @ 4:09 pm
Love the album but I kind of agree with trigger on it. I really liked half the album but didn’t like the other half. The mentioned trinity river I didn’t like. One of the past comments of some was that his songs kind of sounded the same. I didn’t agree before but there is a point on this album towards the end where I see it. I will say this the last song on the album, name on a billboard is the best song in my eyes that I feel he’s ever done. A song I could hear coming out of the radio to jam to. It also shows that he has more than one style he can be good with. If the album had a couple more or maybe just one more like it, it would be a 10 to me. I’m hopeful that that style of song may show what’s coming down the road.
September 12, 2022 @ 5:48 pm
Charley is an E N T E R T A I N E R.
You know, a musician who is out there, entertaining, plenty of people.
If he isn’t your cup of tea, so be it.
September 12, 2022 @ 6:35 pm
Well some of us like our entertainers to not release music and not tour.
September 12, 2022 @ 7:00 pm
Seen him a couple of times and he keeps getting better. His earlier albums definitely showed that he had plenty of potential and as time has gone by both his vocal style and presentation has improved.
Well worth the trip to catch him live.
September 12, 2022 @ 7:34 pm
Missed him last time thru town(sold out) so went to venue(no fees)and got 25 buck tics.
And bought 4 other shows too, all hail first ave.
Probably not his biggest fan but enjoy most of what I’ve heard the last few years.
I really do enjoy seeing an artist for the 1st time.
September 12, 2022 @ 7:44 pm
My first impression is that this is one of Charley’s best albums. He first came on my radar after I saw him open for the Turnpike Troubadours and steal the show- which is saying something because that’s my favorite band. I thought the thing that made him unique was the mixture of classic country and blues and that the ratio veered too country on the last few albums. I don’t understand people complaining that he releases too much music although I confess that has prevented me from getting as acquainted with it all as I am for some folks. But I think if it’s started to feel too much the same to everyone it’s because he’s gotten too sonically narrow, and this album I think fixes that by bringing back the trumpet and the R&B flavor. He’s best when you can feel the influences of Lefty Frizzell and Ernest Tubb right next to those of Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and T-Bone Walker.
September 12, 2022 @ 9:03 pm
I love everything about Charley and I’m digging this album. The guy is so polished and so smooth and such a fantastic throwback. Old school country music consistently delivered with soul. Caught him live in a small, intimate venue a month or so ago and he killed it. Not every artist needs to be a poet, but every country artist should strive to be as reliably smooth and on point as Charley. The more the better.
September 12, 2022 @ 9:08 pm
Charley is the next great country superstar and if you listen to “July Jackson” and you don’t see he’s more of a Johnny Cash than anyone alive today, well then… i don’t know what to say. Also, the idea that his chameleon abilities are a putt off. So stupid. Nearly ALL great artists did that in their first albums. All of them. Mozart even did that.
September 13, 2022 @ 12:13 am
Love his country soul style but i admit that i would love him even more without the flashy old school outfits. I don’t know why…
solid albume and Bruce Robison is still the king.
September 13, 2022 @ 5:02 am
To each his own.
I still don’t get it.
September 13, 2022 @ 5:35 am
Self admitted naysayer in regards to Charley when I last saw him live. I had a quick listen to this album and like what I heard.
September 13, 2022 @ 7:16 am
I think Charlie’s strength, his talent for making vintage sounding country music, is also his weakness for me. Trigger says this album is like unearthing a rare collection of 78s. And that is a great description, because this sounds like someone took an old album and remastered it. The problem? It sounds like an old album somebody remastered.
I get why some love Charlie, but for me he brings nothing new or exciting to the table. His music is a good recreation of an old style of music, but he fails to add anything to the mix, or provide any type of his own flair to make a traditional style into his own unique sound. You might as well listen to an old album that has been remastered.
September 14, 2022 @ 7:02 pm
Some of his songs are definitely old-school country, but there are others that are quite different. “Just Like A Clown” is basically blues mixed with soul and a bit of twang. Like his songs or not (I like most of what I’ve heard– not to the “loving” point yet though), Charley does at least have *some* range stylistically. He’s not simply doing one thing repeatedly.
September 14, 2022 @ 7:26 pm
Correction: The song is “I’m Just A Clown.” (Good song too!)
September 14, 2022 @ 7:47 pm
I don’t dislike Charlie. I usually give his albums a listen, and some songs find their way into my playlists. He’s just not an artist for me that I would consider one of my favorites. I just find that he, and some other similar artists, are mainly copying a traditional style as opposed to taking traditional sounds and instrumental styles to make something their own. I’ve given similar criticism for artists like Zephaniah Ohora and Jason James. I like them all, just don’t love them.
September 13, 2022 @ 12:38 pm
I don’t dislike the guy, none of his albums have ever made my rotation but I always give a listen and like a tune here and there. This album just seems to meander along in same temposville with the exception of a couple songs and like was said above “Name on a Billboard” which is a nice upbeat track with a good hook/chorus that could be an “independent hit”. He is prolific I’ll give him that.
September 13, 2022 @ 6:23 pm
I’m sure to attract some rightful disapproval. Charley is essentially the G&away version of Drake when it come to output.
September 13, 2022 @ 7:49 pm
This whole album sounds like a Motel 6 commercial
September 14, 2022 @ 5:34 am
To me, the less is more sentiment would be better applied to Zach Bryan than Charley Crockett at this point.
September 14, 2022 @ 7:07 am
I hate when artists I like release too much music
September 14, 2022 @ 8:06 am
Trigger – sorry about this being unrelated: I went to Spotify to look up Charlie Crockett’s album after reading your review and accidentally clicked on Charlie Marie. I realized I hadn’t heard anything about her so looked on her Instagram and it appears she took a break from music at the end of 2021. Do you know anything about this?
September 14, 2022 @ 8:41 am
As soon as I can find a moment to breathe, I’m hoping to reach out and catch up with her. But yes, I can confirm that she is taking a break from music. I think she was all rearing to make a big push with her music, and then pandemic lockdowns kept dogging her plans.
September 14, 2022 @ 8:46 am
Too bad, her stuff is awesome. If you get an update that she is okay with you sharing, it would be much appreciated.
September 14, 2022 @ 6:54 pm
I don’t know Charley’s backstory but wasn’t Davey Crockett known as a showman as well? Doesn’t he claim to be a descendent?
Regardless of all that, Charley has a sound that is (to my knowledge) unique in modern music. There are plenty people enjoying it.
If his persona is an act I really don’t care, it at least seems to be coming from a genuine place and not a mocking like I felt with another recently acclaimed ‘country’ musician.
September 16, 2022 @ 12:24 pm
Mr. Crockett just gets better and better. Welcome to Hard Times will be hard to best, but this ones pushing on it hard. His voice is getting better with each album. This guy just might “Save Country Music”.
September 24, 2022 @ 6:05 pm
Just wanted to point out that this album debut at 199 on the Billboard 200.
October 5, 2022 @ 6:10 am
“Like ferreting through your grandfather’s old belongings, and unearthing a rare collection of 78s representing a sumptuous cross-section of bygone American music that despite the dated verbiage and vintage styles, feels vibrant and fresh as ever as it hits your ears that have been rendered voracious from the the vacuous audio offerings of the here and now, Charley Crockett has assembled a voluminous discography in a relatively short span that continues to mesmerize in it’s scope, breath, and quality, with his latest offering The Man From Waco fitting right in line with his run of impressive output.”
whoa, he I think he left the barn door open on that sentence..
did you ever see Joycelyn Wilson talking smack on you, Trigger? she doesn’t seem to know a lot about the music, but she put an opinion out there. think she called you a “contrarian.” contrary to what I don’t know. I mean I know, but I don’t think she does.
anyway, going to go listen catch up on this one
October 5, 2022 @ 7:08 am
I don’t ever know if I saw any “talking smack” from Joycelyn Wilson, but she wrote a piece for Bitter Southerner that falsely stated that an op/ed I wrote about Lil Nas X was the catalyst to have “Old Town Road” removed from the charts, when I wrote my article AFTER the song had already been removed. This was a completely false narrative that got picked up my numerous outlets and parroted in the Twitter media echo chamber, and she came along well after all of that, pushing that false information. I called them out directly about it, and eventually they changed it. Here is the article I wrote about it:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/bitter-southerner-posts-false-timeline-of-lil-nas-x-removal/
If she’s written about me subsequently, I have not seen it.
October 5, 2022 @ 7:23 am
hmm, I read a pdf, but I don’t remember that particular bit. I just know she was pretty far off. thanks for the link and comment.
…lemme see: “talking smack – to criticize someone or something in an unpleasant way,” I think I’m OK on that.
wow, sorry that got so messy, that’s a shame. she’s like a scholar of Outkast, which couldn’t be more mainstream. despite their excellence, but you know. I’ve found your perceptions on how they come at all that pretty helpful – they’re the one with “hands on the levers of power,” as they say. not country people. it’s fruit so low it’s underwater.
October 5, 2022 @ 7:29 am
E-40 talks about doing a drive-by on a horse on “707” so that might country too haha.
October 18, 2022 @ 2:40 am
This man is a living legend and my life’s work has recently become to write a Charley style album that he would collaborate with me on and make into his own. WHERE YOU AT CHARLEY?!?
Here I am player
https://youtube.com/channel/UCxKu3IatkScZVGoXNLcXRgA