“Texas Cotton” Movie Soundtrack Is Worth A Listen
As albums for cover-to-cover listening, most movie soundtracks can be quite tedious, even if the music is good, and even if the movie holds a favorable grade. It’s just the fragmented nature of the contributors and styles, and the need for the soundtrack to provide the mood for the flick first and foremost before any listening enjoyment autonomous from the theatrical production becomes a concern. Even some of the most legendary soundtracks have fast forward moments, or don’t make sense unless the movie itself looms large in your personal ethos.
But some soundtracks are so good, you can enjoy them without having even seen the movie. Like a good album, a narrative plays out in your mind as you’re listening, not unlike a motion picture. This soundtrack for the little independent film called Texas Cotton falls into that category. And like any quality soundtrack, it also gives a good introduction to a bevy of important artists that can then make your listening experience sprout tentacles as you seek out further works from the respective contributors.
Matt Hillyer of Eleven Hundred Springs, Colter Wall, Carson McHone, Mike and the Moonpies, Charley Crockett, Summer Dean, and Tony Kamel are all names of cool artists from Texas and beyond that the Texas Cotton soundtrack gives you a quality introduction to, and not via tracks that fit a movie scene and not much more, but songs you could easily slide right onto one of the respective albums from these artists and still hold their piss.
Directed by Austin filmmaker Tyler Russell, written by Jameel Khaja, and starring George Hardy (Troll 2) and Juliette Danielle (The Room), Texas Cotton is about an aging lawman who is convinced a mysterious stranger arrested in his small cotton town is innocent. His investigation stirs up a hornet’s nest that changes the town forever. The 88-minute film has received a limited release to select theaters in Texas and beyond, and can also be rented via Amazon Prime. But whether you seek the movie out, make sure to give the soundtrack a spin.
Yes, cotton is the constant that binds these ten tracks together, and as you listen to some of the most compelling independent and under-appreciated voices in country and roots music, they take you on a story arc that submerges you straight into the agrarian landscape of the Texas plains, with all the trials, joys, and tribulations playing out in songs that were meant to be heard together.
Some of the songs are sparse solo efforts, like Colter Wall’s “Raisin’ Cotton,” which holds up to the high standards he’s set for his music, or Mike Harmeier’s (Mike and the Moonpies) sorrowful “Thunder and Lightning,” to more full-bodied songs, like Carson McHone’s steel guitar-soaked “Gone Forever, Again,” or the Los Texmaniacs making sure the Hispanic heritage of Texas is represented with “Y Tequiero Ver.” Charley Crockett’s voice was made for a cotton song, and he proves it with “Just Like Snow.”
Movies and music used to be more distinctly married when soundtracks would launch massive hits that would go on to define generations. Songs and artists would become synonymous with the movies they were included in. These days many of our generation’s greatest musical voices have been relegated to the underground. But as we’ve seen with recent movies productions—from massive films like A Star Is Born to small films like Texas Cotton—movies can still play a critical roll as introduction points to quality music.
Cool soundtrack.
November 19, 2018 @ 12:13 pm
Will def check it out, I’m so out of the loop with movies pop culture etc that I haven’t heard anything about the movie (much less soundtrack), but just based on names mentioned in article I’m stoked.
***sidenote glad to see Matt hillyers name on there, criminally underrated musician / songwriter imo, was just listening to an old eleven hundred springs album earlier today
November 19, 2018 @ 3:27 pm
Don’t worry, I mainline movies, music, and pop-culture on the daily and haven’t seen anything about this movie or the soundtrack anywhere, except here. Heard about it first through Mike & The Moonpies’ social media just last week.
November 19, 2018 @ 3:23 pm
Been listening to this since Friday. Was actually gonna send in a note about it, worried it might fly under the radar, but had a feeling it’d pop up. Heard about it through Mike & The Moonpies’ social media. Digging both of Mike’s tracks here (with band and solo), and the others.
“Cotton Fields”, though, Lead Belly cover performed here by Cardenales, is the only sore spot for me here. Just, not so good. Sounds like Blues Hammer from the Ghost World movie.
November 19, 2018 @ 4:29 pm
Watching now!
November 19, 2018 @ 5:05 pm
That was a waste if $2.99. It’s not a movie, it’s a low budget, high school project. I thought the “movie” was trying to be funny, then realized I was laughing at it. Terrible acting, horrendous dialogue, harsh editing… I pulled the plug 30 minutes into it when I realized it wasn’t a joke. It was terrible.
I heard two songs in the first half hour, but I won’t get the soundtrack because I never want to be reminded of my wasted $2.99.
November 19, 2018 @ 8:15 pm
Trigger is right, he never said watch the movie, he said listen to the soundtrack, while i can’t argue and somewhat agree on some levels about the movie, the soundtrack is fantastic and is worth a listen, and shouldn’t be condemned because of how you feel about the movie they are two separate efforts.
November 19, 2018 @ 9:15 pm
I read the article and that’s why I “liked” Trig’s response and didn’t argue. But, a movie and its soundtrack aren’t totally separate efforts and usually the soundtrack and a movie complete each other. Hell or High Water from a couple years ago is a great example where both complemented each other. Lawless from a few years back, too. You’d think the artists on this soundtrack would want to be associated with a film of the same caliber. It’s like when we used to buy albums solely by the label … you knew there would be a standard.
With that said, Trig still loses his right to pick the movie next date night.
November 20, 2018 @ 10:50 am
Music complements a movie, but a movie doesn’t necessarily complement a soundtrack. The creative process is entirely different, and the music was likely commissioned (or licensed) and conceptualized apart from the movie. I highly doubt the musicians featured on the album were included in the creative or production process of the film. Though it may be difficult to dissociate a movie with its soundtrack, the opposite is not the case.
Never seen Pulp Fiction, but heard the soundtrack a million times. Same with Prince’s Purple Rain, The Harder They Come (reggae album), and Saturday Night Fever. You also don’t need to see Singles, O Brother Where Art Thou, Baby Driver, or Almost Famous either to enjoy the plethora of great music therein.
Haven’t seen Texas Cotton yet (the trailer looked a little dour), but I wouldn’t let that steer me away from enjoying the soundtrack album.
November 20, 2018 @ 2:37 pm
Not surprising, Troll 2 and the room are known far and wide for being the top contenders of worst movie ever. When you have actors that list those films as there high points you know it won’t be to special.
November 19, 2018 @ 5:46 pm
The appropriate response to this article should have been, “Listening now!”
November 20, 2018 @ 12:05 pm
They should have hired Javier Bardem for that movie.