|
Troy Campbell American Breakdown |
||
|
Track List 1. Sad Truth
|
(M Ray Records) The son of an Appalachian truck
driver and a Korean war bride, Troy Campbell took road trips with his Dad in
his truck listening to the music of artists like Elvis, George Jones and Red
Sovine. Back home, he sang along with the music his mother favored, Sam
Cooke, Freddy Fender, and Bobby Darin. In his teens, it was the punk music
of groups like the Ramones and the Clash that captured his attention. It was
in Middletown, Ohio that he forged his unique musical style, and it was in
Ohio where Troy met Alejandro Escovedo, then with the True Believers, who
convinced him to start his own band, and told him he'd let them open shows
for the Believers. Troy started a band with his brother Mike.
When Alejandro headed for Austin, the Campbell brothers followed. The
Campbell brothers started the Highwaymen (no relation), who later became The
Loose Diamonds, along with "Scrappy" Jud Newcomb, Mark Patterson, and Champ
Hood. The Loose Diamonds combined the sounds of heartland roots with the
energy of punk, and one club at a time, became a national favorite, being
compared to the likes of Joe Ely and Bruce Springsteen.
Five years after The Loose Diamonds disbanded,
and four years since his first solo release, 1999's Man Vs. Beast,
Troy returns with his sophomore solo effort, American Breakdown.
Where Troy ventured out and explored other musical styles on Man Vs.
Beast, American Breakdown finds him returning back to his roots, both
as a songwriter and a singer. Troy, along with producer Gurf Morlix, have
put together a strong album of rootsy Americana, seamlessly mixing
together country, roots rock, folk and a slight touch of R&B. Morlix's
velvety touch on this live-in-the-studio production, perfectly compliments
Troy's haunting and beautifully heartfelt vocals, and his songs of
family, broken relationships, broken hearts, and reflections of his past.
The bittersweet ballad, "World Of Tears,"
features Troy's achingly beautiful vocals, on perhaps the most gorgeous song
he's recorded to date. The title cut, "American Breakdown," is with it's
brooding, dark, sinister melody, reflects on a relationship gone wrong. The
outstanding "Sleeping Without You," provides lyrics that touch
on Springsteen, and a melody that recalls Roy Orbison. On the country-rock
of "The World Keeps On Ending," Troy draws from the autobiographical roots
of his own family. American Breakdown's highlight comes from the
outstanding Appalachian mountain music of "Rosabelle," a fatalistic
song that plays out in the coal mines of his own family's Appalacian roots.
Another standout, "Blind" has a slight R&B undercurrent and a soaring
melody, in this reflection about trying not to become tangled up in the
past, while trying to move forward. The disc closes with American
Breakdown's loudest moments, the excellent guitar-driven Southern
rocker, "Home After Dark," which deals with a love gone terribly awry.
Troy Campbell's American Breakdown is
Americana music at it's best. He skillfully mixes roots music, and has
created a moody album, with the darker, more ominous melodies well balanced
by gorgeous ballads, and a few uptempo melodies with infectiously catchy
hooks. His songs are slices of poetic imagery, and his voice is all at once,
tender, aching, haunting, and defiant, but most of all strong. For fans of
true Americana music, American Breakdown is a "must have."
|
|
AnnMarie Harrington
Take Country Back November 2002