Charley Crockett: Welcome to Hard Times

With his vital, vintage style, Charley Crockett delivers Welcome to Hard Times, an inspired, timely reminder of how powerful country music can be. After recovering from open-heart surgery last year, the prolific African-American troubadour set out with producer Mark Neil to make a “dark, Gothic record.” His eclectic blend of honky-tonk, blues, folk, and rockabilly evokes a Nashville sound that harkens back to the late 1950s and early 60s. In fact, the album title intentionally name checks a 1967 Western, and its tremolo-laced guitar, saloon piano flourishes, and cinematic sweep would seem right at home in a spaghetti western. From the retro-realism of the title track, a fatalistic country anthem with a gambling motif, to the careening, western swing of “Run Horse Run,” these emotive songs benefit from spare production and echo-burnished sound. With topical touch, Crockett even covers “Blackjack County Chain,” a Willie Nelson hit single from 1967 that was banned from radio because of its lyrics. Charley sings this prison lament as a brutal but haunting dirge, and the chilling story of a black chain gang killing a Georgia sheriff intensely resonates with renewed ramification today.

The post Charley Crockett: Welcome to Hard Times appeared first on The Absolute Sound.