People do stupid stuff all the time, including this particular act:
Back in 1989, a man in Austin, Texas, tried to kill a 600-year old
Treaty Oak tree, by poisoning it, for no explainable reason. Thanks to
much hard work and care, the tree was saved, thankfully. That's
something to which Texan Nail can relate, having battled a rare cancer
and lost a leg. His last album, My Mountain, dealt with that, whereas
this one is about getting on with live, and growing strong again. "Dead
leaves falling underneath as I come back new again/ Strong as a Live
Oak," he sings in the title cut.
This isn't
your stereotypical Austin album, even though Nail's a singer-songwriter.
It's more meditative and relaxed, and all the more striking for it.
With it's calmer, slower pace, both the words and guitars ring out,
along with echoes of Nail's healing journey. One song references
stillness, the next a quiet night and a mind at ease. Lap steel and
smooth electric piano sweeten the latter cut, Rolling Dice, moody in a
positive way. The most dramatic statement is saved for the end, in Till'
Kingdom Come, where first Nail questions fate, with "Was it karma from
another life?/Or was it just a roll of the dice?", before letting us
know he's moving forward with strength, "From a body ridden with
disease/To this new life I live and breath." With the subtle music and
overall warmth, Nail isn't trying to be a poster boy for conquering
adversity; this is about finding modest peace and growth, and passing on
that it's possible.
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