Rodney Crowell - Tarpaper Sky (16/12/2014)
The genre now known as “Americana” may well have been created to describe the music of Rodney Crowell. With Tarpaper Sky, Crowell delivers a follow up to 2013’s Grammy Award winning duets album with Emmylou Harris, Old Yellow Moon. Like that album, this is a quality collection of songs that push country, folk and roots music boundaries but this time its Crowell’s turn to shine solo.
On Tarpaper Sky, Crowell comes across as someone very comfortable with their lot. There is an honesty and accessibility to the songs that don’t stray too far from the “keep it simple” formula, yet they sound both connected to current alternative folk and earthy classic country at the same time. Crowell is a quality songwriter who, over a forty year period, has had his songs covered by many artists including Harris (‘Til I Gain Control Again), the Oak Ridge Boys (Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight), Bob Seger (Shame On The Moon) and Keith Urban (Making Memories Of Us). On this album his gift for storytelling shines once again. |
Album opener The Long Journey Home is an upbeat acoustic country rock number that wouldn’t sound out of place in an Eagles setlist, Fever On The Bayou has an underlying cajun groove, while Frankie Please has a rockabilly edge. Other highlights include Somebody’s Shadow with its bluesy feel combining piano, saxophone and guitar riffs, while Jesus Talk To Mama is gospel tinged with another rockabilly/blues Carl Perkins-type tweak, and The Flyboy And the Kid gives a nod to Dylan. The John Denver tribute, Oh What A Beautiful World, is a feel good song but you can hear the ache and pain on two other standout tracks, God I’m Missing You and I Wouldn’t Be Me Without You (it brought to mind the type of material found on his ex-father-in-law Johnny Cash’s American Recordings series).
Music perfect with a cold drink on a warm summer night – Rodney Crowell is a class act still going strong!
Darren Parker
Music perfect with a cold drink on a warm summer night – Rodney Crowell is a class act still going strong!
Darren Parker