Album Review – Charley Crockett’s “The Valley”
When it comes to the roots of American music and how they all intertwine and mingle into a vast tapestry of sonic possibilities, you can speak extemporaneously about how it all fits together and hope you’re right, or you can quickly get bogged down in over-intellectualized minutia about origins and ethnicities, and run the risk of sapping the joy and mystery out of the music. Or, you can put on a record from Texas native Charley Crockett and have it all illustrated right there in front of you in a lushness that makes you not just understand the similarities between country, blues, soul, and boogie woogie, but feel it deep in your musical marrow.
Part African American, part Jewish, and a direct descendant of Davy, Charley Crockett was raised for a time in the south Texas town of San Benito right near the Texas border, then in Dallas where the blues reign supreme, and spent even more time in Louisiana with his uncle, making Charley Crockett a jambalaya of influences that somehow fit together harmoniously into a sound that feels borrowed from everywhere, but distinctly his own. Years spent busking in various part of the United States and beyond instilled him with a natural showmanship and gave rise to real-life experiences to share in his songs, making him one of the most entertaining guys out there on the road.
Charley Crockett’s latest record The Valley almost didn’t get made. After going to the doctor seeking routine hernia surgery, he found out about a life-threatening heart condition that required risky surgery. Not knowing if he would survive, Crockett set out to write and record The Valley, which he concluded just a week before going under the knife. Everything worked out fine, but if it hadn’t, Crockett’s story, and his unique combination of country and roots influences would at least be chronicled in this work. Dead or alive, the urgency and importance with which he approached these recording sessions is enshrined in the results.
Like the early masters of Americana music, whether it’s Hank Williams or Robert Johnson, Charley Crockett says so much with so little, and makes you feel a lot. “10,000 acres of lonesome…” he croons at the beginning of one of the numerous honky tonk songs from the record, and no more needs to be said for you to get swept up into the emotion of the song. The rockabilly style of the autobiographical “The Way I’m Livin’ (Santa Rosa)” puts you right into Crockett’s restless, ramblin’ bones. It’s the simplicity and effortlessness of the poetry that makes Charley Crockett’s version of country so potent, not wild turns of involved vocabulary and double entendres. It’s folksy, endearing, and easy to warm to.
The music of Charley Crockett is naturally spicy. Where some artists are forced to veer out of their comfort zones to keep from sounding the same on each track, or come across as less than genuine when they try their hand at different styles, Charley Crockett can swerve between different music modes with a smoothness and authority due to his years of practice and study of it all. These are not just country or blues songs. They’re Charley Crockett songs, and every early roots genre wants to lay claim to them as their own because he’s just so damn good at it.
Along with being quickly appealing, Charley Crockett is also prolific. Beyond the 15 tracks of The Valley, he released another 12-track album in 2018 called Lonesome As a Shadow. He’s also released two covers albums recently—the 15-track Honky Tonk Jubilee in 2017, and the 16-track Blue Bonanza in late 2018. For Charley Crockett fans, the gifts keep coming, but a few of the 15 songs on The Valley feel a little undercooked, including the title track where some of the lines seem like they’re written to rhyme as opposed to emote a feeling. 10 or 12 songs would have probably sufficed for the record, though it’s good he didn’t touch his collaboration with Evan Felker on “Borrowed Time,” or the Bobby Bare / Johnny Paycheck cover “Motel Time Again.”
The music of Charley Crockett takes you back to a time and place when country rubbed up against other genres in a good way, and no matter what type of music you ran across, it included that touch of human emotion that didn’t get hung up in the cogs of the machines stamping out music as commercial product.
Charley Crockett isn’t the next guy to rattle the cage of popular country. He’s a preservationist, helping to keep the roots of American music alive so that others in the present and future can be enveloped by their influence, and nurtured through their inspiration. He’s a living, breathing embodiment of those American roots like they’re springing from the ground and singing out in all their vibrancy to the struggles and joys we all face, and always have, and always will.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
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Throwback Country
September 27, 2019 @ 8:26 am
Between this, the Quebe Sisters and Vincent Neil Emerson…what a week for retro country!
I miss Toy, Ronnie and Levon
September 27, 2019 @ 8:35 am
Big past 2 days for fans of Real country music!
Tex Hex
September 27, 2019 @ 8:47 am
Charley Crockett finally clicked with me in the last month or so and I’m loving this album, and his whole vibe in general.
I found his 2018 album Lonesome as a Shadow to be a tough barrier to entry, what with the odd lisp and slightly flat vocal tone, but after giving his whole catalogue a thorough spin and reading/listening/watching a bunch of interviews recently, I feel like I finally get where he’s coming from with this mix of blues, soul, zydeco, country, and rockabilly (even some hip-hop influence here and there).
He’s like this sort of cool, tall-tale telling, traveling, rambling, busking, troubadour for (and from) the hip-hop generation (he used to sing and play with a hip-hop MC on the NYC subway years ago as “The Train Robbers” – there’s some videos on YouTube of this). He’s traveled the world, lived on the streets, played music on the streets, learned old songs, written new songs, and developed a real love and knowledge for American roots music (as evidenced by his “Lil GL” albums).
He’s like an old-school traveling songster (like a pimped-out modern Jimmie Rodgers or Lead Belly), carrying an ever-growing songbook of American roots music and connecting all the dots for us, making it all sound seamless and joyful. If anybody should be called “Americana” right now it’s Charley Crockett.
Trigger
September 27, 2019 @ 11:15 am
I didn’t want to include this in the review because it wasn’t something that I wanted to dwell on too much, but I believe you’re right about his “lisp.” At some point, Charley Crockett added an affectation to his voice. In his last record, it felt just a little too rich, and disingenuous, despite the quality of the material. After signing with Thirty Tigers and getting a bigger boost in recognition, perhaps he felt like he needed to put an extra layer of showmanship behind his effort. Though this turned off some, I’m sure it attracted others.
That voice affectation is still there, but it’s not as robust on this new record. It’s more natural to Charley Crockett. He “found his voice,” so to speak and settled in to who he is.
Mark M
September 28, 2019 @ 5:18 pm
Can’t deal with the lisp, ruins it for me
Cool Lester Smooth
September 29, 2019 @ 7:11 am
For me, at least, the key difference is that he’s picked up the tempo quite a bit and started to do a better job of differentiating between his songs.
I saw him open for Turnpike a couple years ago, and he was clearly talented (and a really nice dude when I spoke to him at the bar!), the songs all sort of ran together into a languid parody of what Tyler Childers thinks “Americana” is.
The songs on this release have much more of a verve to them – like he’s singing the songs, rather than passively letting them escape his lips.
JimmyMartin
September 29, 2019 @ 10:38 am
This just doesn’t make sense. His live show is superior to Childers. I saw him play with Tyler and Turnpike in Texas a couple years ago and he absolutely stole the show. I mean, ran off with it and everybody in that crowd knew it. He played first and so when Tyler got up he was great but it honestly seemed like a generic Americana act by comparison, and Crockett only appears to be getting better. I caught him in austin late last year at antone’s and the dude was dizzying in his performance. The fever was they the roof in that room. I don’t understand the difficulty y’all have with this guy. He hasn’t had a big producer on any of these albums. Looks like he’s actually producing them himself. Cant say that about Tyler or even colter wall. That new record puts him in a place closer to jimmy Rodgers and Hank Williams then anybody in the independent country field, and the similarities in his background to some of the legends are crazy. Y’all might be really surprised by what happens with this guy in the near future. And after reading triggers review on billy strings I feel like these 2 are in a completely different category from the rest. How fitting to review them on the same day. Big win for American roots music.
Cool Lester Smooth
September 29, 2019 @ 1:05 pm
Like I said, it was Spring 2017 – well before he’d even released Lonesome as a Shadow.
Dude’s grown by leaps and bounds over the last two years.
JoseyWales
September 29, 2019 @ 5:28 pm
Knowing I was seeing him, TC, and TPT last year I had some trouble getting into him as well when in all typical fashion once I saw him live all that went out the window.
Brian
September 27, 2019 @ 8:59 am
I am just like the previous commenter. I don’t know what it was, but there seemed to be some barrier for me on really buying in and loving Charley, but something has just clicked with this release and I am on board now. Even his previous releases are completely different sounding to me now and I have gotten to where I really like his sound and I can’t wait to go see him at the Continental Club in October. I love this new album!
Conrad Fisher
September 27, 2019 @ 9:06 am
Is the whole thing mixed mono? Sometimes people do that and it comes across kitschy but it really works for Charley. I dig it.
Happy Dan
September 27, 2019 @ 9:26 am
He’s even more amazing live!
Matt Murphy
September 27, 2019 @ 9:28 am
When I heard “The Valley” I wondered wherever in Texas Crockett’s funky, slack-jawed vocal accent (may your cuss become a blessing) came from. Then it came to me: its a New Orleans accent. This record is a perfect gumbo of styles, an instant classic that sounds like it is from 50 years ago. Thank God he survived his surgery, I can’t wait to see him live.
Kevin Smith
September 28, 2019 @ 4:13 am
Matt,
I agree, it is very cajun, sounding, very creole at least to my ears. I too wondered about the lisp, is it real, is it put on for effect? Still debating what to make of him. Something about the songs does grab me and keep me listening, though. Unique character for sure.
Matt Murphy
September 27, 2019 @ 9:44 am
It will be interesting to see if Ken Burns is driving interest in roots country and if Crockett benefits from it. A lot of his new record sounds like it came straight out of Episode One. The song title “Maybelle” is a huge tell.
Tex Hex
September 27, 2019 @ 10:20 am
Watching the Ken Burns doc and having Crockett release a new album at the same time has definitely been a benefit to me, personally. Like, learning about the roots of country and being able to listen to a modern take on that same thing, at the same time. Having tangible evidence that the hundred year old roots of country are still alive and well and honored and respected by young artists today.
Cool thing is, though, Crockett isn’t just a self-serious pastiche throwback (like I fear somebody like Colter Wall is, no offense). He’s a street performer by trade (with hip-hop roots) and, by virtue of having to fight for an audience that’d rather ignore you as they commute to work, he’s learned the value (and lost art) of having a varied songbook, having a knack for reinterpreting/rearranging songs and themes you’ve heard many times before, and dressing in eye-catching clothing (not for the sake of hipster irony, but the utilitarian purpose of drawing attention to your performance).
Also, based on what I’ve seen in interviews, he’s got a good mix of down-home humility and cocky charisma. I could see him getting cast in TV or film at some point. Dude seems like a character.
OlaR
September 27, 2019 @ 11:16 am
Grumpy OlaR: i like the album…no bad track
SCM-Choir:…
Grumpy OlaR: what?
SCM-Choir: no “but”?
Grumpy OlaR: well…
SCM-Choir: well?
Grumpy OlaR: well…no but…the album is…
SCM-Choir: we wait…
Grumpy OlaR: …ggrrhhh…
SCM-Choir: the album is aoty-material?
Grumpy OlaR: nope…it’s good bu…
SCM-Choir: lol
Grumpy OlaR: damn…
Greg
September 27, 2019 @ 11:18 am
He plays one hell of a show as well!
Benny Lee
September 27, 2019 @ 1:57 pm
Fantastic record, maybe even better than Lonesome as a Shadow? Definitely in my top 10 for 2019 (and it’s filling up fast).
Racer53
September 27, 2019 @ 2:41 pm
Excelllent record! I’ve heard several times how good his live shows are, and hope to catch him soon
Sean
September 27, 2019 @ 6:28 pm
I love every album Charley has put out. The guy has a lisp. Who cares. He’s genuine and put in the time performing on the streets and has gotten to where he is today with hard work and talent. There’s a million artist that would love to have half his authenticity. Good for him. I’ve seen him live several times and drank with him after the show and he’s as nice and gratious as they come. Great album.
Normal Street
September 28, 2019 @ 6:57 am
I really like this album. I got into Charley’s music last year after seeing him open for someone else and then also saw him do his own show and I echo the other comments that say he is excellent live. Highlights of this particular album for me are Borrowed Time, Big Gold Mine and Excuse Me. The one thing that puzzles me is the inclusion of If Not The Fool and Change Yo’ Mind on the album. It’s not that they are poor songs, but both had already been done very well on Lonesome As A Shadow.
Tex Hex
September 30, 2019 @ 9:44 am
When I first read the track list for Crockett’s new album a while back, I was also puzzled by the inclusion of those two tracks which had already appeared on previous Crockett albums.
However, on hearing them, I absolutely love their inclusions. It shows Crockett’s knack for reinterpretation and rearrangement of older songs (albeit these ones are only few years old). I attribute this to Crockett’s early involvement in hip-hop, a genre were reinterpretation and recontextualization (via sampling and remixing) is a cornerstone.
“If Not The Fool” from the Lonesome as a Shadow album is arranged and played in a more funky 60’s/70’s soul style, with a quicker tempo and emphasis on the drums. “If Not The Fool” from The Valley is arranged and played more like an old 40’s/50’s doo-wop song with emphasis on the baritone sax and a slower tempo, giving the song a more “sad” feel than before.
“Change Yo’ Mind” from Lonesome as a Shadow is sparsely arranged and dryly produced, with only acoustic guitar and a lonely trumpet, while “Change Yo’ Mind” on The Valley has a more loping tempo with traditional cowboy/western flourishes like steel guitar and much wetter, reverb-heavy production (going for that Sun studios sound).
Crockett also covers Vincent Neil Emerson’s “7 Come 11” (released less than a month ago, on that artist’s debut) but whereas Emerson’s version has a more sinister Ennio Morricone vibe, with heavy phaser on the guitar, farfisa organ, and steel, Crockett speeds up the tempo considerably giving it a more upbeat swing quality, and adds a wailing harmonica. Almost sounds like a totally different song.
This is why I’m really loving Charlie Crockett as an artist right now. When he covers a song, even his own songs, he gives them new life and new flavor.
Normal Street
September 30, 2019 @ 2:25 pm
It is making more sense, the more I listen to the album, because as you say he has added to the songs and made them different. I shouldn’t have been so puzzled initially, as a similar thing happened with Turnpike Troubadours’ Bossier City/Easton & Main a few years ago. With those, I was also wondering at first why they had been done a second time, but it wasn’t long before I enjoyed the new versions as much as the earlier ones. No doubt, I am heading the same way with my thoughts about Charley’s songs.
Bill from Wisconsin
September 30, 2019 @ 2:58 pm
I like the mix of music Charlie does, including the bluesier stuff. Youtube videos I have seen are good too. Surprised when I see so few comments on these good album reviews.
HankThrilliams
October 6, 2019 @ 9:48 pm
Mush mouth from Fat Albert.. hard pass