Bluegrass influences and a train-like steel drive "Down at the Station," a sturdy little number about meeting back up with his girl one more time — she may break his heart again, but he clearly doesn't care. "I Just Can't Trust Myself with You" similarly has him "feeling like loving [her] again" despite failed attempts at doing so previously. There's also the George Strait-esque "What We Don't Have," where he lists off everything that they do have physically (like a house), but their relationship has cracks in it that most people maybe don't see. It's very possible that this was earlier in the same relationship in the first or third songs.
Later on is "I Pray," in which he generously prays for her to find someone else to love… but asks that she also prays the same thing for me. Now that's a man with heart! "That's Just Me" finds him wondering why he still loves her in the first place, adding yet more interest and color to the relationship that this album seems to chronicle. "Wrong Side of the Bed" humorously chronicles a day where everything seems to be going wrong because she's gone, and suggests that all of the bad things are happening because he fell asleep on her side of the bed. It's a cute twist on the commonly-used theme of a bad day. On the other side of the spectrum, "Me, Marie" is a delightful up-tempo with a Latin-meets-Western swing flair, taking the familiar topic of meeting some good-looking girl across the smoky bar and being captivated by her.
"Daddy's Radio" uses vivid details to convey the history of a cheap radio playing country music while daddy works, contrasting it with the six-disc CD player in the Chevrolet. It's an effective example of the "nostalgia filter" — I know that when I was growing up, I liked it most when I got to hear the local country station playing through our cabinet stereo, although I certainly can't ignore my huge CD and MP3 collection and the much better speakers I use to play them.
"A Day I Will Never Forget" uses moments like sneaking a cigarette behind the barn and getting in an accident but walking away unhurt to show and tell just how much he's matured since such memorable incidents. Speaking of smoking, there's "Smokin' Grass" (later released by Shannon Lawson, who co-wrote it), a punny little title ("smokin' grass was our worst habit / we got high on smokin' grass") about playing fast-paced bluegrass music, not lighting one up. This one really doesn't shy away from the tempo, or the banjo for that matter. More banjo crops up on the title track, which suggests that there are so many little sounds and objects that all fit into the term "country" nicely. Despite its "na na na" chorus, it's far more effective and heartfelt than most other "i'm country and proud of it" songs. For a strong dose of hardcore honky-tonk, there's "Dreaming Out Loud," using some creative imagery to twist around the concept of "this must be a dream" in a happy fashion. "Hold Me" is next, offering a simple yet heartfelt promise of true love, comfort and understanding.
Closer "Let's Go" is a soft, mellow, downbeat offer to travel to someplace new and spend some time alone. This kind of topic has been covered before, sure, but rarely has it been done with the maturity and unhurriedness that Yates gives it. It's a fine closer to the album.
Yates knows what he's doing on his own label: finding an album's worth of strong, tightly-written songs, singing them to the best of his ability, and never overplaying any aspect. Considering how strong his debut for Almo Sounds was, I'm pleasantly surprised that he's been able to make such improvements to his sound. I guess sometimes a change of scenery just triggers some sort of newfound creativity in some people.
You can support Billy Yates by purchasing this album via Billy's website.
This album review is part of our Album Archive: The Music of Billy Yates. Click below to read more about Billy Yates' career and about each recording of his career.
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