Dallas Burrow, Blood Brothers Review
Gather ’round, fellow music enthusiasts, as I serve up a sonic feast sure to tantalize your musical tastebuds: Dallas Burrow’s newest offering, Blood Brothers. This 13-song set is a compelling tapestry of sounds that shifts effortlessly from gritty Saturday-night bar anthems to soulful Sunday-morning church hymns. It’s like a potluck dinner where everyone brings their A-game dish – a flavor explosion, folks!
What strikes me right off the bat is how Burrow manages to steer his music towards different shores without ever losing sight of his roots. This New Braunfels troubadour bathes himself in the Texas tradition, which seeps into every track like that slow southern drawl that’s hard to ignore. This ain’t no cookie-cutter country album, my friends. With Jonathan Tyler masterfully working the soundboard, the album is an exhilarating ride from shadowy blues, funk-dipped grooves to heart-wrenching ballads and toe-tapping barroom sing-alongs. It’s a campfire gathering, a honky-tonk jamboree, and a dim-lit blues club all rolled into one.
Opening track “River Town,” with its catchy chorus and dynamic instrumental interplay, sets the stage for a truly engaging journey. The track, with its heartland imagery, lays the foundation for Burrow’s ‘everyman’ persona. Our journey continues with “Starry Eyes,” where the shimmering guitars and languid drum part throw us into a dreamscape that’s as much indie country as it is dream-pop Americana.
As we delve deeper, the gospel-inflected “Out My Window” uplifts our spirit with Jonny Grossman’s keyboards and Taylor Rae’s background vocals. “Motel 6” turns the dial towards humor, with Burrow playfully riffing on the “rolling stone” motif. The album’s namesake track, “Blood Brothers,” captures a timeless ritual of young camaraderie, underscored by a chugging guitar, Marty Muse’s pedal steel, and a shuffling drumbeat.
Ever the storyteller, Burrow gifts us with “Wild Bill,” a toe-tapping, old-timey tune that takes us back to the Wild West’s notorious figure. And as we near the album’s end, “True Believer” closes the set with a rollicky energy, a blazing tribute to the roadhouse spirit.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Blood Brothers isn’t just an eclectic collection of songs. It’s a cohesive storybook that encapsulates Burrow’s personal and musical journey. And let me tell you, it’s a journey worth taking, one that straddles the line between the familiar and the unexpected, like finding an old record in your attic that you never knew existed.
The magic of Dallas Burrow lies in his ability to draw from a vast songbook, to craft vivid narratives, and to stay grounded yet never mundane. With Blood Brothers, he has achieved a balance that’s as marketable as it is genuine: the charismatic frontman who’s refreshingly down-to-earth, the hometown hero who’s still humble, and the barstool buddy who’s got that edge, but in all the right ways.
So, to anyone looking to dip their toes into the vast waters of roots and Americana, give Blood Brothers a spin. You’ll find yourself drawn into the captivating world of Dallas Burrow, a world that’s as inviting as a campfire on a chilly Texan night. That’s the short of it!
Connect with Dallas Burrow: Website |
Blood Brothers
June 16, 2023
Subliminal Hymnal Records / Soundly Music
9.1