Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Album Review: Jason Eady - I Travel On

Jason Eady
I Travel On
**and1/2 out of *****

Jason Eady has been at this a long time. The Mississippi born but now Texas living country song writer and singer has been putting out rootsy albums since 2005 and for the first time on I Travel On he brings his acoustic touring band into the studio to record live and fresh.

The normal country touch points are eased into as the players relax with the sounds around them. The albums standout arrives early as "Now or Never" begins with a silky groove pushed to the front before each player gets a spin while Eady sings with back porch ease. Dobro player Rob Ickes also helps out and his contributions add layers as the road tested players drop into tracks like the easy rolling "That's Alright" with confidence and strutting style while the marital bliss of "Happy Man" even proclaims he is blessed to be playing with the band and singing with his wife.

That singing voice is a big plus on the album as the duo pair well on "She Had To Run" before Eady's warm rich vocals are pushed to the forefront on the slow title track album closer. The tempo picks up a bit for "Calaveras County" which shouts out to wide open spaces in typical country fashion before "The Climb" deals expertly with aging and the dull pains and small victories that come with it. "Pretty When I Die" gets the fiery picking flying showcasing the talent of Ickes as the strings, snares and fiddles keep pushing things forward causing boots to stomp and kick up dust. 

Not everything is peaches and cream though as opener "I Lost My Mind In Carolina" feels completely out of place with it's modern country sheen, custom made for a single release on an album that really doesn't cry out for one. "Always A Woman" is cliche slow dirge that deals with advice in tame/dull/outdated ways while "Below The Waterline" deals with flooding (specifically in New Orleans) in a straight ahead manner. 

Eady and company have produced a no nonsense country singer songwriter record and while none of the tracks are jump out, must hear, the overall quality carries the day.
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