The Soundtrack

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about the music. I love it all. I tend to go through phases, when it comes to different genres. I'll become fascinated with a particular style or artist and I'll listen to it nonstop. My life seems to have a sound track for whatever I'm going through at the time. My current obsession is what you might refer to as "Americana." Some classic country, mixed with some mainstream country. There were two artists that I listened to nonstop while recovering from a break up a while back. Zac Brown Band's Colder spoke to me. I remember listening to it at the beach while trying to figure out what the heck happened. It soothed me. I listened to that album every waking minute that I wasn't working. Then a trip to Nashville turned me on to Travis Meadows. A wonderful writer. He performed a song, in a tiny venue in Nashville, that took my breath away. I immediately downloaded his album, "Killing Uncle Buzzy." And that album became the anthem to my recovery. I listened to it while running miles and miles on the treadmill. Now, typically, when you run you want something up tempo. But I didn't necessarily need up tempo at the time. I ran and listened to his gut wrenching lyrics and saw the face of my ex and ran harder and longer. I exchanged emails with Travis and he told me that he wrote the album while going through a hard time in his own life. He didn't have to tell me. I knew it by listening. His song "Learning to Live Alone" just blew me away. The song talks about his relationship with his little boy. Now, I don't have children. The things in his song were not really what I was going through...and yet I related so completely with it. Now THAT, my friend, is what makes a great song. I was talking to a friend the other day, who does not listen to country. He was giving me a hard time. I told him that I wasn't so in love with a style. I love good lyrics. I admire song writers so much...the truly good ones. I love great vocals. I'm a bit of purist when it comes to that. Simple. Barebones. Raw. That is what gets me somewhere between my gut and my heart. An acoustic set impresses me more than anything. A guy with a guitar or a girl behind a piano with great vocals and lyrics that connect me. That will make me a fan. All the other stuff is fun...but the simple stuff is the best!! I met a guy the other night, through a friend. His name is Nate Kipp. He seems to be a staple performer for the Dallas/Ft Worth area. He does all his own stuff. Pretty much Texas style country. He is, after all, 100% Texan and you feel it in every note. I only heard him perform a couple of songs but was impressed with his style and his comfortable presence. A confidence that only someone that has been singing in front of crowds for a long time can possess. When I got home I bought his latest project, The Holding Pattern. The humor in the songs and the style of the music, seemed to be so completely the guy that I met, that it made me smile. I think, if anything, an album should reflect the personality of the artist. And this certainly did. The vocals are smooth and soothing and seem effortless. If you like Texas country, give Nate a listen. A great guy doing what he loves. Gotta admire that ,