Jun 19, 201211:05 AMThe Telegraph
The Premier Blog of the West
New Tunes: June 19, 2012
kennychesney.com
Kenny Chesney, Welcome to the Fishbowl – With the exception of the rabble-rousing Tim McGraw duet, “Feel Like a Rock Star,” it seems Kenny’s exploring his softer side on the new album. “There’s a whole lot of longing on this record,” he says at the beginning of the track-by-track commentary on Spotify. The introspective vibe works beautifully on songs like “Sing ‘Em Good My Friend” and “While He Still Knows Who I Am,” both about anticipating a life-changing loss, and “I’m a Small Town,” a refreshingly thoughtful take on the simple-life anthem. He says of the latter in the commentary: “[I was] that kid that literally used to sit in the backyard at night and stare up at the stars, and wonder if there was anything else out there beyond what he knew. … That song touches me to my core.”
Don Williams, And So It Goes – His voice melts your heart and reassures you of music’s healing power. We’ve missed hearing new stuff from the country music legend, since he hasn’t released anything in seven years. But that changes today with an album produced by longtime producer Garth Fundis. The 73-year-old Williams collaborates here with Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, and Keith Urban, but nothing about the new album sounds like current chart-topping releases. It’s classic Don –Simple lyric, earnest vocals, enduring melodies.
Bon Iver, iTunes Session – The Wisconsin folkster Justin Vernon offers up a handful of live versions of tunes from his Grammy-winning, self-titled 2011 record. There’s also a cover of a Bjork song, “Who Is It?”
Danny Rush & The Designated Drivers, Brown and Blue – “Danny Rush” is Daniel Folmer, a Denton-based singer-songwriter known around North Texas for his bleeding-heart lyricism and constant creative output. Brown and Blue is his second release with a band that helps bring ‘70s-country flavor to his lovelorn compositions. A worthwhile exploration for anyone who enjoys slow burns and crying harmonicas. Listen to three tracks and find out more about Folmer here.
Ruby Jane, Celebrity (Empire of Emptiness) – A former fiddlin’ prodigy from Austin adds “guitarist” and “singer-songwriter” to her credits on a new album of originals. Find out more here.
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