Charley Crockett - Music City USA

Charley Crockett tackles the country-soul tradition head-on with Music City USA, a 2021 album that sounds like it could have been cut decades earlier.

Born in San Benito, Texas, Crockett spent years busking his way through New Orleans, Dallas and New York before building a devoted following through a string of releases on his own Son of Davy label. This ninth album arrived the same month he was named Emerging Artist of the Year at the Americana Honors & Awards, and it plays like the work of a road dog finally getting his due.

Lead single 'I Need Your Love' is a sweet and sultry slice of southern soul, while the title track tips its hat to the town it's named for. 'The World Just Broke My Heart' leans into old-school heartache, and Crockett's laconic Texas drawl stitches everything together, landing somewhere between vintage rhythm and blues and Texas dance-hall honky-tonk. The arrangements are lean and warm, with plenty of space around the voice.

Sixteen songs, most of them short and sharp, with barely a wasted bar. It's a record for anyone who likes their country with a little grit under the fingernails and a lot of heart, from a songwriter who clearly knows the road.