29-year-old East Texas singer/songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson follows-up the exceptional Fried Chicken and Evil Women release with a self-titled album inspired by Townes Van Zandt’s straightforward introspection, plainspoken poetic lyrics, and haunted singing style. The 10-song collection is produced by another Texas hero, Rodney Crowell who had this to say about Emerson: “If he grows on the public the way he’s grown on me, it’s possible young Vincent will plant the flag of his (songwriting) forebears firmly in the consciousness of a whole new generation.” The new album is a combination of simple compositions that convey sweet little vignettes from Texas life and deeply introspective, impactful songs. Emerson showcases his lyrical abilities while narrating his struggles with conformity, heartache, and balancing family life and time out on the road. Album highlights include: the mellow Tejano vibed opening track “Texas Moon”; a song about the loss of his father via suicide, “Learnin’ to Drown”; the self-aware, humble, and hopeful track “High on Getting By”; the rambling blues ballad “Ripplin”; the song about past injustices to his indigenous roots on “The Ballad of the Choctaw-Apache”; the Gaelic flute and fiddle-tinged “White Horse Saloon”; the redemptive road song “Durango”; the western-swing influenced “Saddled Up and Tamed”; and the self-deprecating bluegrass-tinged track “High on the Mountain.” Vincent Neil Emerson’s self-titled album is an excellent listen with a lot of variety and depth showcasing that he is more than a combination of his influences. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR |Charley Crockett, Nick Shoulders, Colter Wall, Joshua Ray Walker, Western Centuries