If you want to understand the movement called the Outlaw Country in the United States, the one that had as major exponents in the past Waylon Jennings and today Chris Stapleton, Cody Jinks and Jamey Johnson, here’s Mickey Lamantia and his wonderful album How Far Would I Fall are a fantastic explanatory manifesto in this sense, the quintessence of the truest and bloodiest country rock, the music that comes from the blue collar and America that works and believes in God, homeland and family. A record produced great and that gives a lot of space to guitars and the bearded Mickey enriches with a deep and intense voice that appeals to every listening more. The first song Turn Them Guitars Up is perfect to understand the direction of the record, scratching riffs and rhythm and that country from local honky tonk texani as in the second song Hank3, funny and played great. The steel guitar accompanies and the song gets under your skin and you would like not to finish but then the next and also title-track slows down significantly but elevates the emotions, a jewel ballad like those of his teacher Willie Nelson, with a perfect female counterchant that is the voice of Melonie Cannon, excellent singer and chorister for the greatest country artists in history as well as very appreciated soloist (his 2008 solo album And The Wheels Turn is a masterpiece, nda). The ballad is really beautiful and introduces to another slow one this time from saloons, stories of drinks and feelings, Poor Man’s Whiskey is a typical outlaw country song and Jamey Johnson would be proud. The songs always oscillate between the most rocketing and bloodier country, as in First Last One or Just Go Away (that as Italians we can associate as an image, with nostalgia, the TV series Hazzard, distillery campaigns and saloon), to the intense ballads voice piano and acoustic guitar as in He’s My Dad, exciting dedication that takes heart. Beautiful. The album closes with two songs that have in music and lyrics the explanation of the Mickey Lamantia thought, dusty guitar and country vocals to the core : Working Joe and Keeping Country Alive. The flag of the real country flies fair and far from the glossy and ranking, here is the true talent and true American music, the street work and family. All you need is a great voice like Mickey’s, a good whiskey and a porch to listen to good stories. Long live outlaw country and independent productions.
Good listening,
Trex Willer by http://www.ticinonotizie.it
(you can find original italian article at this link : https://www.ticinonotizie.it/ascoltati-per-voi-mickey-lamantia-how-far-would-i-fall/ )
