Country Soul Brother
Stag
Dayton started out as a rockabilly artist, switched/expanded to alt country and then more or less started his own genre: “turbo country,” as the Austin American Statesman labeled it. Now, with his latest, he’s exploring the grey area between blue-eyed soul and country.
“You just can’t live in Texas if you don’t have a lot of soul,” the late great Doug Sahm said — and his words obviously weren’t lost on Dayton, as there’s a whole lot of that here along with some revved up honky tonk and even a dash of Tex-Mex and brass.
The title song kicks it off with some refreshingly unusual three-part harmony: Dayton’s lead is just barely out in front of the Supersuckers‘ Eddie Spaghetti and sultry-voiced bluesette Carolyn Wonderland, making for an almost other-worldly blend.
Another highlight is the pedal-steel retrofit of the Cars’ “Just What I Needed.” It’s hard to say what that is that’s going note for note with the steel — fiddle, guitar and/or another pedal steel — but whatever it is, it sounds damn good riding on top of that B-3.
Elsewhere, it’s a mind-boggling, high-octane, wonderfully arranged and performed set with help from guests like Redd Volkaert and Gary Primich. See what happens when you start your own label?
Tracks
1. Country Soul Brother
2. All Because Of You
3. Ain’t Grace Amazing
4. Just What I Needed
5. Daily Ritual
6. Jesus Pick Me Up
7. It Won’t Always Be Like This
8. Tall Walkin’ Texas Trash
9. Just To Get You Off My Mind
10. Moravia
11. One Of Them Days
12. Talkin’ Bobby Dale’s Hard Luck Blues
Total time: 41.4 minutes
External Links
artist’s website
amazon.com
iTunes Store
