Charlie Overbey’s new release Broken Arrow was produced by Ted Hutt (Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucero) and hosts a bevvy of irresistible guests: the Mastersons (Steve Earle), Miranda Lee Richards, Eddie Spaghetti (Supersuckers). The album pays homage to our deeper human struggles set to mid tempo country melancholy and adept, lively pedal steel.
“Slip Away” is a wrenching tale of suicide, with Miranda Lee Richards’ harmonies lilting with Overbey’s Johnny Cash style vocals and a straight-up country drum beat courtesy of Charlie Nicienski, with Ted Russel Kamp on bass: “I watch you slip away…” “Shame” adds more country to the mix with Matt Pynn on steel guitar. “Outlaws” continues to highlight the country side of the project with the Mastersons on board, paying homage to founding greats: “Duane Allman on guitar, load the outlaws in the car and let Waylon take the wheel.”
“The Ballad of Eddie Spaghetti,” features Eddie Spaghetti, raising the question: “If I die at 47, will they drag me off to heaven or drive me off to hell in my prime.” “Trouble Likes Me Best,” is a straightforward old style country song with Eleanor Whittmore of the Mastersons on backups: “Kentucky whiskey took me to jail in Tennessee.” “This Old House,” is a sorrowful song about the death of one’s father, and this song and “Echo Park” resonate like a Bruce Springsteen ballad. Guitarist Mickey Madden, J. Soda on organ and Katie Overbey on piano round out a super sonic project.
Overbey has an extensive tour planned, check into it, here.