featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
April 5, 2026
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
We're longtime fans of Joe Pernice and his myriad variations, so this week's release of Sonny I Was Wrong pleases us. Speaking of eclectic journeypersons, we're pulled as well towards Wendy Eisenberg's new solo set. See also Woods' contributor John Andrews & the Yawns.
IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK
Sometimes when our attention coincides with that of the mainstream, we have to second-guess ourselves. See, for instance, the popularity of crossover acts like Flatland Cavalry, Red Clay Strays, and Turnpike Troubadours - all quality acts that have managed to attract those larger crowds. Add to this list the Droptines, whose new record, Drought Flower, has been released by the Big Loud Texas label (co-owned by Jon Randall and Miranda Lambert). Produced with Randall himself, the Texas Hill Country quintet's second full-length isn't as polished as those other success stories, but Droptines have demonstrated a similar grassroots authenticity and road-weary dedication to their craft.
On Drought Flower, the Droptines pepper their Texas country with strong shots of heartland rock and Son Volt alt. Donny Parkinson's electric guitar powers songs like the anthemic "Tombstone", a bleeding-heart rocker that promises we'll Leave this hole of a hometown behind. The title track adds Johnny Sheets' low tumbling drums to the fervent racket. Frontman and songwriter Conner Arthur brands it all trailer park Shakespearean, a wholehearted rush of sound that favors spit over polish.
It's largely Arthur's voice as a singer and a writer that sets Droptines apart from the pack. On "Snowed In" he's one part Hayes Carll and another part Nathaniel Rateliff, a gruff and unmannered delivery that bridges comparison. There's a Western flair to "Town Near You", pairing him with labelmate Zandi Holup. Arthur is complemented on the acoustic "Mamaw" by Sarah Jarosz: God come collect your creation / Jesus send a chariot down.
Songs are purposefully on the shorter side, owing to Conner Arthur's hit-it-and-quit-it philosophy of songwriting. "What Ate My Friend" clocks in at 2:15, while "Take Too Much" reduces the excess for an even leaner two minutes. Nevertheless, Droptines shoehorn plenty of melody and meaning in each song. On "Take Too Much", one of the collection's most melodic moments, Arthur sings, Brother please remind me of a time / We didn't have to think about dying so young.
Drought Flower draws to a close with a pair of covers, including Mike McClure's red dirt classic, "Calling All Cars" and a beautiful left-field run through Magnetic Fields' "Grand Canyon", taking Stephin Merritt's song in a decidedly Nebraska-esque direction. The unlikely pair intersect at the Droptines, an outfit that's proving themselves bigger than any single genre or audience.
ROUTES-cast April 5, 2026
^ Droptines, "Ate My Friend" Drought Flower (Big Loud Texas, 26)
- 49 Winchester, "Slowly" Change Of Plans (New West, May 15)
- Joshua Ray Walker, "Chasing Sunsets" Ain't Dead Yet (East Dallas, May 29)
- Drayton Farley, "What You Gonna Do" Heavy Duty Heart (Hargrove, 26)
- Keyland, "Pinball Machine Rodeo Queen" Knuckle Sandwich (One Riot, May 29) D
- Krista Shows, "Pallet" single (Shows, 26) D
- Builders & the Butchers, "One Winged Bird" No Tomorrow (Badman, 26)
- Haylie Davis, "Horns Of Time" Wandering Star (Fire, Jun 5)
- Widemouth, "No Gasoline" No Gasoline (Urban Scandal, May 29) D
- Rachel Brooke, "Real Pretender" This One's For You (MAL, Apr 24)
- Sluice, "Vegas" Companion (Mtn Laurel, 26)
- Tracey Nelson, "Hercules" Hercules (perennial, Jun 10) D
- Futurebirds, "Sienna Life" Far Out Country (Dualtone, Jun 5) D
- Eric Silverman, "New Life" Bitter Honey (Royal Oakie, May 29)
- Jobi Riccio, "Love Of the Song" Face the Feeling (Yep Roc, May 15)
- Yarn, "Longshot" Saturday Night Sermon (333, Apr 24)
- Low Cut Connie, "Oh Yeah" Livin' In the USA (Contender, Jul 3)
- Jesper Lindell, "Trying To Live My Life Without You (ft Frazey Ford)" Royal (Brunsvik, Jun 26) D
- Jason Eady, "Tulsa Turnaround" Tulsa Turnaround (Old Guitar, Jun 5) D
- Caleb Caudle, "Slow Growth" Heavy Thrill (Handplow, Jun 5)
- Joe Pernice, "If You Go Back To California" Sonny I Was Wrong (New West, 26)
- John Andrews & the Yawn, "Last Word" Streetsweeper (Earth Libraries, 26)
- Wendy Eisenberg, "Will You Dare" Wendy Eisenberg (Joyful Noise, 26)
- Maria Taylor, "Everything Is Fine (My Love)" Story's End (Million Stars, 26)
- White Denim, "Ruby" 13 (Bella Union, Apr 24)
- Reds Pink & Purples, "Houses" Acknowledge Kindness (Fire, Apr 24)
- Greg Mendez, "Gentle Love" Beauty Land (Dead Oceans, May 29)
- Beth Orton, "Ground Above" single (Partisan, 26) D
- Waylon Payne, "Looking For a Feeling" single (Mercury, 26) D
- Drivin N Cryin, "Why Don't You Go Around" Crushing Flowers (DNC, Apr 10)
--------------------------
To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:
No comments:
Post a Comment