A journey into the world of rodeos, Texas cowboys and their music. Here’s this The Short Go is all this and the cover is very explanatory on the themes and the flavor that you will meet listening to the 13 pieces that compose it. Jarrod Birmingham plays at home, is a real Texan and has competed in numerous rodeos in his life riding bulls, until he realized that country music would become his first reason for life. An independent artist to the core, no charts and no glossy Nashville : only real music, his family and the dust raised by the hooves of horses. A record, the seventh of the Texas artist, full of classics of cowboy music literature, covers of the masters of the genre but there is also room for one of his unpublished, that Jarrod brings to the conclusion of a beautiful album, vintage enough to make us nostalgia of the good times that were. Birmingham’s voice is perfect for telling these stories, and her support band is no different and makes a perfect and great sound. The dust of the rodeo, the roar of the hooves of bulls and horses, that feeling that runs in the veins of every Texan who respects himself : everything is part of these stories. Jarrod Birmingham draws on the source of one of the largest of the genre, a real cowboy, the late Chris Ledoux, true legend of American country (who gave posterity a son, Ned, equally good.). As many as 4 songs are by Ledoux and Birmingham does it justice, interpreting them in a personal way but without distorting the already excellent tracks. Goin’ and Blowin’ is a pure honky tonk, addictive, funny and one of those pieces that you can imagine to dance on the boards of some saloon in Fort Worth, Ledoux would certainly appreciate, as well as the wild country rock of Hooked On an 8 second ride, almost with a southern rock riff at the beginning but as believable and intense as Jarrod’s voice. Another bothered myth is that of Red Steagall and his Bandito Gold is a dusty western ballad that likes and amuses, one of my favorites of the lot. Riding to a beautiful prairie with the wind on his face. Also beautiful is the duet with his wife Jennifer (who incidentally is a great singer) in Ian Tyson’s Someday Soon, a melancholy ballad and supported by pedal-steel and excellent rhythm. Another little gem of the record is Old Wore Out Cowboy by Ed Bruce, classicism of the genre and redone by many artists, dusty and convincing ballad, pedal-steel and powerful voice, one of my favorite versions of this beautiful song that’s a cowboys anthem now. The closing of the record as said is his unpublished, Holdin On and the piece is no less than the classics played so far, an acoustic cowboy ballad and the voice of Jarrod Birmingham that gives a capital performance, dust that seems to come out of the speakers as the sound dragged along us towards the end of a beautiful work, convincing and authentically independent. If you are looking for a job far from the radio but close to the greats of the past Texas, is the record for you. If you want to know what pure country is loved by rodeo cowboys, just press play and get comfortable.
Good listening,
Trex Willer by http://www.ticinonotizie.it
(you can find original italian article at this link : https://www.ticinonotizie.it/ascoltati-da-noi-per-voi-by-trex-roads-jarrod-birmingham-the-short-go-2020/ )
