0119 PAGE 04 Reviews new 1 - Buddy · make a balanced life, by saying, “Alright, alright,...

JANUARY 2019 BUDDY 5

RECORDREVIEWS

Coby WierSevenIndependent releaseTEXAS MUSIC ICON, RustyWier, left a large footprint dur-ing his long successful career.His son, Coby, is the first to ad-mit those are big footprints towalk in. But he’s taken the plungeand stepped out on his own witha new independent EP release,Seven.

“I Won’t Break” begins on aslow easy roll, with acoustic gui-

Kendall Beard

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WITH THE ONSET OFNEW Year’s Day, I canjust bet that most of youreceived Facebook mes-sages including sparklylights and snow comingdown, and many emailswishing you and yours aHappy New Year. I did.And those are beautifuland heartfelt. I also re-ceived one old-schoolChristmas card actuallyin the mail, and that wasactually from a musician.Yes, they can be old-school, too.

Of all those I read, I believethis was my favorite, posted byJoKyle Varner, owner of themusic and wedding venue Heri-tage Hall in Paris and of a sound

company — no telling what else.This year, JoKyle and his wife,Hannah, welcomed their secondchild into the family, and heproduced his second Back YardBash and added a Party Barn toHeritage Hall.

Here’s what else he recappedfor this year, starting with hisbirthday, which is on New Year’sDay.

“My highway has sure beengood to me… as of today, I’vebeen at it for 32 years with plentyof road left.” He added that he’shad to make a constant effort tokeep his life semi-balanced in2018.

“I felt like my roller coasterwas way out of control at times.I think all of us struggle withbalance.”

For 2019, he recommendsand said he will be doing thesehimself, to focus on balancingand best prioritize time and em-phasize all things important.

“Keep livin’ your dream; Fly

at your altitude; Hug her; Hughim; Hold that baby; Cook a newdish; Don’t brake when you hitice; Schedule lunch with a peer;Schedule lunch with a mentor;Schedule lunch with a mentee;Drink a beer; Get the steak nexttime; Risk it; Provide; Give; Beon time; Respect your peer; Earnit in return; Be thankful; Praymore; Love harder.”

A while back, I signed up for“Opt for Optimism” and followedthrough on so much of thedaily suggestions, i.e.: Donateclothes you don’t wear, buy acup of coffee for a stranger,thank a mentor or a teacher,write a letter to someone youcare about, take a cake to yourfire station.

JoKyle sums it all up, no mat-ter which program one selects tomake a balanced life, by saying,“Alright, alright, alright.. Justkeep living, y’all.”

JoKyle and I both say, HappyNew Year y’all!

tar and Coby’s vocal.Thinking it would bethat type of song, Icouldn’t have beenmore surprised whenhe transitionedseamlessly into a rocktune. But it’s the lyricsthat draw as he tips hishat to his father. It is aconversation he wouldlike to have with hisfather in heaven.

A strong statementin “On My Own,” Cobydeclares he’s ready with“Going on out my own/My way is the way it’sgoing to be…”

Guitar driven,“What Willis Said,” isTexas blues at its bestwith hot riffs and blis-tering lead. Coby’s mu-sicianship shines on thisinstrumental.

“Birdiefrog” is an-other jaw-dropping instrumen-tal featuring Coby on the acous-tic guitar. The finger work isnothing short of brilliant anddelivered with expert precision.

Coby has always said, “Peace,Love and Monkey Grease,” as abyline. Now he’s turned it into afull-fledged Texas boogie withmore stellar guitar work from hismagic fingers.

Undoubtedly “Lay This Gui-tar Down” is the most poignanttune on the album. Written byJohn Inmon and Leonard Arnold,

and performed live many yearsby Rusty, Coby does a worthyrendition of this timeless tune,but he does his way.

Another instrumental, “InYour Blue Eyes,” showcasesCoby’s natural-born talent. Theriffs he lays down on the acousticguitar are unequaled.

While this is Coby’s solo al-bum, it won’t be his last. Eachsong is executed with a uniquestyle and precision.

The Coby Wier Band will playat the Saxon Pub on January 12.His EP, Seven, is available atCDBaby.

—JAN SIKES

Jason EadyI Travel OnOld Guitar RecordsTHIS NEW CD FROM JasonEady is easily the best album I’velistened to all year. From start tofinish, there is not one bad songon it. Produced by Kevin Welchand Jason Eady, I Travel On wasrecorded at Blue Room Studiosin Nashville. With Eady on acous-tic guitar and vocals, Rob Ickeson Dobro, Trey Hensley on leadacoustic guitar, Kevin Foster onfiddle, mandolin and vocal har-monies, Naj Conklin on uprightbass, Giovanni Carnuccio ondrums and percussion, alongwith Courtney Patton and KevinWelch on vocal harmonies, thisalbum is over the top in musicaland vocal talent.

The jaw-dropping flat-top

guitar picking on“I Lost My Mindin Carolina,” isunrivaled. Re-leased to radio,this single is al-ready climbingthe charts.

“The clockkeeps ticking, andit’s right on cue/Now or never,never sounded sotrue…” delivers acompelling mes-sage on “Now orNever.”

“Happy Man” is a contentedfeel-good song.

In “Calaveras County,” thereare no strangers, and there’s roomfor a man to be his own.

Isn’t it “Always a Woman”that can make or break a man?

“That’s Alright” is a compila-tion of life’s vignettes that createa mood, a feeling that causes aman to want to stay. The musi-cianship shines on this tune withthe acoustic guitar and fiddle.

When the river starts rising,it’s going to take everything “Be-low the Waterline.” It doesn’tcare what you think or whereyou stand.

Again, the jaw-dropping fin-gers flying across the strings ofthe acoustic guitar on “PrettyWhen I Die,” is nothing short ofbrilliant pure raw talent.

The story told through “SheHad to Run,” is one of an abusedwoman who finally decides deathawaits if she stays. “She knew thenext time he’d do what he alwayssaid he would…”

If you’re going to die on themountain, at least you’ll die try-ing. It’s all about “The Climb.”

The album concludes withthe title track, “I Travel On.” Theroad calls and the troubadourmust go.

The lyrics, vocals, harmonyand melody on I Travel On aresuperb. This is Americana musicat its best. Jason Eady will per-form at The Sons of HermannHall on Feb 19. For more visit

jasoneady.com.—JAN SIKES

Chuck ShawChuck ShawIndependentWHILE Chuck Shaw WASN’Tborn in Texas, he always knew itwas where he belonged. He putdown his roots in San Marcosand immersed himself into Texasmusic. There is a bit of Lone Starcountry in each song on this self-titled album recorded at YellowDog Studios in Wimberly. Pro-duced by Dave Percefull, thealbum has the warmth we’vecome to expect from the famedstudio.

“Dirty Woman Creek,” incor-porates a perfect blend of lyrics,guitar, and harmonica. Shaw’scover of a hidden gem, “Ain’t NoBad Time” is a song everyone canrelate to. “There ain’t no badtime for a good thing…”

A country shuffle withharmonica, fiddle, andtwanging guitar, “BurnThat Oil,” tells of a youngman’s dreams.

“Tonight I’ll StayHome,” speaks of the painof lost love and how some-times you simply need tobe alone in your misery.

A song that could onlybe born in the Lone StarState, “Rodeo Man,”chronicles the nomadiclife of a rodeo cowboy.

Coby Wier

We’ve all had those morning-after cobwebs and can only“Hope I can get through the day.”

Crying steel guitar sets themood for “Winter’s Fallen Snow.”It is another story of lost love andheartbreak.

We move straight from win-ter to “Late Summer Moon,”where hope for new love blooms.

Perhaps an autobiographicalsong, “Somehow I’m Still Alive,”takes a trip down memory lane.“It’s a new day, and I’m still stand-ing/Somehow I’m still alive…”

The other cover tune on thealbum, “Long Black Veil,” is well-done in Shaw’s unique traditionalcountry style.

“Twenty Minutes Til ClosingTime,” is a familiar theme tolddifferently. “It’s twenty minutes’til closing time/And I ain’t goinghome alone…”

The album ends with a rous-ing gospel tune “Rise Up.” It en-compasses everything a tradi-tional country/gospel tuneshould. It gives hope for tomor-row while offering advice for liv-ing today. “Keep the faith brother/That’s the way to live/Love yourneighbor/Yeah, you’ve got togive…”

Like so many good things inlife, the songs play fast and easy,then linger long after the lastnote fades away.

If you are a fan of traditionalTexas country music, you willlove this album from ChuckShaw!

—JAN SIKES

Jason Eady

Chuck Shaw

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