Veteran Texan stands out amongst contemporaries
Texas has never had a shortage of singer/songwriters. For some, last names aren’t even necessary. Willie, Jerry Jeff, Townes. But lately, some fresh names have been garnering that new classic status while keeping the spirit of the traditional Texas troubadour alive. Bruce Robison, and his latest record The New World, is a prime example, even including a few party-time bar songs like “Twistin’” and “Only,” the latter of which feels like 1970’s Commander Cody & the Lost Planet Airmen with its fast-flying wordplay. But in between the old-style honky tonk are some heart-aching melodies. Lyrically, there’s the painfully descriptive song about a horse named “Larosse” and the sweeping tale of love lost in “Echo.” While having a modest amount of fame as a recording artist, most of Robison’s success has come when others sing his songs (see Tim McGraw’s monstrous “Angry All the Time” and the Dixie Chicks’ “Travelin’ Soldier”). On The New World‘s soulful, hard luck “Bad Girl Blues,” Robison sings from the point of view of a small town girl with a bad reputation: “I wish I could have been the bridesmaid instead of the bride.” If the song is recorded by someone else and ends up selling millions, it stands to reason that being a bridesmaid would suit Robison fine.