Here are two troubadours who took different paths but ended up at
the same destination. Alvin came out of California and the punkish roots
of The Blasters, while Gilmore was an instigator in the country folk of
Texas. But its clear it's all the same thing in this set. In a
first-time collaboration, Gilmore and Alvin tackle a set mostly of
classic Americana, churning their way through just about every influence
they've had, like they couldn't wait to make music together and can't
decide what to do next, there are so many options.
Alvin
and Gilmore co-wrote the title cut, a fun biographical nod to their
hometowns and the roads they've taken. Alvin brought one more original,
Billy the Kid and Geronimo, two icons with something to say about these
days. The rest run from blues (Lightnin' Hopkins' Buddy Brown's Blues),
folk (Guthrie's Deportees) to early rock (Lawdy Miss Clawdy), delivered
with either Gilmore's distinctive twang or Alvin's lived-in gruffness.
The common trait in everything, from the material to the partnership, is
authenticity. Even when Gilmore pulls out the chestnut Get Together, he
manages to remind us it actually had a great message and lyric before
being a hippy cliche. Meanwhile, Alvin brings passion and fire,
obviously relishing the opportunity to play with a fellow traveler. Live
shows and a promise of more to come make this feel like a beginning
rather than a victory lap.
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