James Cook Texican Velvet
James Cook has a new album of rootsy Americana goodness Texican Velvet, which was produced and engineered by The Great Divide‘s Mike McClure. Arrangements with acoustic guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, banjo and mandolin, the songs are a little bit dark and a little bit like a storm blowing through a rustic country cabin. And they are all authentic storytelling from the core of human resilience.
James sings the title track in Spanish, although he says “This is my first attempt at Spanish so I kept the message and lyrics very simple.” and then, of the impetus to write this one, he recalls: “I had been dealing with problems in my marriage so I decided to write a heartbreak song that worked well with my flamenco style.” It’s powerful in the twin universal languages of human emotion and music.
“Is That All You’ve Got” features swirls of fiddle in a song about the person who knocks down everything that stands in their way in a song of gritty durability: “she’s shouting to the mountains to the heavens that surround them ‘is that all you’ve got?”
“Empty Wagons” sets up as a dancehall song with banjo and the proclamation: “No I don’t need the sermon, empty wagons always make a lot of noise / No, I don’t need the lecture, I don’t need the pressure.” James sounds like a old-timey countrified member of the Creedence Clearwater Revival circle here on this one.
“How To Live Lonely” again sets the stage for country living by the creekside with the lonesome sound when someone says they’ve learned how to live lonely, but clearly haven’t, as they struggle with fear. Lauren Lee’s fiddle cuts through with loneliness like the midnight wind on this one. “Houndin’ Me” was the early released single and is a bit more somber and darker with eerie handclaps, haunting harmonies while lyrically, there are dogs howling and “I’ll hold you close as the wind blows through, listen to me sister, there’s a twister heading right for you.”
This album carries a desolation of being alone far out in the country through every instrument and every song. The message from James Cook is that sometimes you just survive, and then, survive again.
Texican Velvet is James Cook on vocals and guitar; Tim Maloney on bass, Ricci Amador on drums; and Jason Brown on lead guitar/steel guitar; with additional vocals by Stacie Cook and Hazel; Adam Odor on bass; Jason Brown on dobro; Lauren Lee on fiddle; and Kevin “Haystack” Foster on fiddle, banjo, and mandolin.
Find more details and information here on his website: https://jamescookmakesmusic.com/
