The Turnpike Troubadours

by Turnpike Troubadours

Overview

The Turnpike Troubadours, the eponymous fourth album from the red dirt country journeymen, careens into view slowly with "The Bird Hunters," a melancholic waltz that recalls some of the sadder moments from its predecessor, 2012's Goodbye Normal Street. Much of that record underscored the dusty literary aspirations of lead singer/songwriter Evan Felker but, appropriately enough for an album named after the band as a whole, this record puts equal emphasis on head, heart, and muscle, easing between simple heartbroken laments and full-throated roars. Felker's voice and writing are plainspoken but not pedestrian; there's a soulful undercurrent to his simplicity, his modesty never seeming affected, his working-class anthems never showy. As subtle and lived-in as these songs are, what really makes The Turnpike Troubadours kick is the band itself. While they've never been restrained on record, this 2015 LP feels brawny and also sensitive, the band capable of leaning into the song so the rampaging minor-key stomp "Doreen" possesses a sad, menacing edge, "The Mercury" drowns out all sorrow, and "Fall Out of Love" plays like a balm straight out of Muscle Shoals. As always, the key to the success of the Turnpike Troubadours -- both as a band and in this album in particular -- is that they never draw attention to their depth and how they occupy a wide, woeful territory where laments heal and parties can feel reassuringly lonely. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2015
Label:	Bossier City Records
UPC:	0696859966026
Rank:	62312

Tracks

1. The Bird Hunters
2. The Mercury
3. Down Here
4. Time of Day
5. Ringing in the Year
6. A Little Song
7. Long Drive Home
8. Easton & Main
9. 7 Oaks
10. Doreen
11. Fall Out of Love
12. Bossier City

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Turnpike Troubadours   Primary Artist
Gabe Pearson   Percussion,Vocals,Drums
Byron Berline   Fiddle
John Fullbright   Banjo,Piano,Vocals,Accordion,Guitar (Acoustic)
Ryan Engleman   Guitar (Electric)
Evan Felker   Banjo,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Harmonica
Grady Don Stradlin   Percussion
Thomas Trapp   Guitar (Acoustic)
R.C. Edwards   Vocals,Bass
Kyle Nix   Vocals,Fiddle

Technical Credits

Rhett Miller   Composer
Jenny Hsu   Design
Murry Hammond   Composer
John Fullbright   Composer
Matt Wright   Engineer,Producer
Shauna Dodds   Design,Art Direction
Ryan Engleman   Producer,Group Member
Gabe Pearson   Group Member
Eric Conn   Mastering
Wes Sharon   Mixing
Jonny Burke   Composer
R.C. Edwards   Group Member
Kyle Nix   Group Member
Justin Voight   Photography
Evan Felker   Group Member,Composer