Joel White – Where I’m From, Singer/songwriter Joel Whites’s vocal styling seems to have been cut from John Prine & Kris Kristofferson whole cloth. In factthey are two of the many performers he cites as being inspirations. And like those two, White doesn’t steer clear of tough looks at life. That’s not to say he doesn’t also paint some portraits of satisfaction amid trying circumstances.
White’s release is what I would term “peripherally Western.” In this case the Western genre is represented predominantly through characters (ramblers, gamblers and the like) and locales (“Littlefield Texas 24” and “Bluewater Bar,” having been set in Bluewater, NM, an actual location. My dad got caught in a kangaroo court speed trap there in the 1950s)! White’s “Bluewater Bar” was nominated for IWMA Western Song of the Year and received a fine performance by its composer during this year’s Awards Ceremony in Albuquerque.
Tightly produced by Merel Bregante, this CD shows the promise of possible things to come. Joel White is a solid West Texas-raised performer and songwriter who can certainly create more specific Western content in the future. Thirteen tracks, recommended.
CD: (available through joelawhitemusic.com)
– by Rick Huff
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Joel White – Where I’m From