Grant Langston – aLAbama
This is Grant’s 10th studio set & the play on words comes from Grant’s home state & his chosen town. The Alabama-born & California-rooted singer-songwriter performs in a honky-tonk country tradition with a wider appeal of his Southern-inspired musical repertoire sneaking in.
Langston keeps his themes firmly in a modern contemporary motif & shines each with a few rough edges to keep it interesting. This set of formidable tunes on aLAbama (Drops June 14/Independent/42:00) was self-produced by Grant & recorded in several L.A. studios with a range of influences.
The album has many bright moments but “This Old Truck,” as country-oriented as its title sounds is a catchy tune with lots of flair. It has the infectious enthusiasm that was once part of showcases made famous by people like Buck Owens. Langston (electric & acoustic guitars/bass/Wurlitzer/lead & bgv) doesn’t stop there as he gallops into “How Much Do You Want?” — a country-mainstream piece woven from the original country tradition. In a perfect world, this would be a top 10 contender already. A surprising appearance by a horn is clever & sounds perfectly suited to this musical confection.
What I find problematic (just kidding) is that this is too good. It may not even be of this Country music era. Each tune rolls out as hit fodder. Infectious melodies, snaky country rhythms, upbeat driving melodies & Langston’s voice are perfectly suited to these songs. Grant does it without being corny, silly, or dipped too deep into country cliches. It seems he keeps to the recipe that worked for him without being too twangy. He mines legends like Owens & Sonny James (that comes through on Langston’s “Layaway” which reminded me of Sonny’s “True Love’s a Blessing”). He has the circuitry for this fluid music.
The cut “This Heavy Load,” is different. While it has a 60s country flow it’s not retro. The songs have a sparkling mainstream attraction & the instrumentation is diversified. It is rooted in the pop sensibilities of early Elton John, Bruce McPherson & Brinsley Schwartz. The country spice is at a minimum & the tune is engaging.
A little more R&R (with help from The Hawtthorns) seeps into “Pure Grain Guarantee” a persuasive ZZ Top grind & Steve Earle percolating guitar. Nice. “Singalong,” pushes Grant’s vocal range to its limits & succeeds. It’s an expressive tale with good instrumentation.
Highlights – “This Old Truck,” “How Much Do You Want?” “Layaway,” “This Heavy Load,” “Pure Grain Guarantee,” “Singalong” & “Keep It Coming.”
Musicians – Tony Horkin (drums/percussion), John Ramey (bass), Dan Wistrom (steel guitar), Carl Byron n(organ), Darice Bailey (organ/bgv), Ted Russell Kamp (trumpet/trombone), Mark Christian (banjo/electric guitar), Johnny Hawthorn (lap steel guitar), Jonathan Sheldon (fiddle), Emily Zuzik, Kitten Kuroi, Gia Ciambotti & KP Hawthorn (bgv).
Music samples: available at Grant’s website under Music. Color portrait image courtesy of KG Music Press. CD @ https://grantlangston.com/music
