Bruce Robison,
Eleven Stories



Label: Sustain Records

(4 out of 5)

Bruce Robison may not have time to listen to much music these days, but when able to carve out a sliver of time he's been drawn to old Stax records, J.J. Cale albums, and Muscle Shoals recordings. So it's no surprise that Eleven Stories — Robison's first album since 2002's Country Sunshine — has a definite groove. And it's a great groove, rhythmically gliding from honky-tonk to blues to roots rock and back again.

As the title suggests, the album is an eclectic collection of short stories set to music.

The strongest stories are also the most subdued songs. The bluesy "Days Go By" (listen) is told from the perspective of a homeless man who has lost everything and has to endure the scorn of passersby. Slightly more uplifting is the folksy "I Never Fly" (listen), a quiet celebration of the power of dreams.

"All Over but the Cryin'" (listen), a duet with wife Kelly Willis, is the song most likely to become a hit. It's a radio-friendly country number about a relationship's dissolution — reminiscent of "Angry All the Time," penned by Bruce and originally recorded by he and Kelly, but turned into a hit by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

The groove hits high speeds on the reel "Virginia" (listen) and the snarky "You Really Let Yourself Go" (listen), both great additions to the growing Bruce Robison songwriting canon.

In the Muscle Shoals tradition, Robison features a wonderful assortment of studio musicians, including Keith Gattis on fiddle and banjo, Warren Hood on fiddle and mandolin, Kevin McKinny on acoustic guitar and vocals, Randy Scruggs on acoustic guitar and banjo, and Al Perkins on steel guitar. Together they create real musical warmth, evoking the classic analog sounds that inspired Robison in the first place.

Charlie may be the flashier of the Robison brothers, and he elevated his profile considerably with 2004's Good Times (review). But with Eleven Stories, Bruce re-stakes his claim as the most complete singer/songwriter in the family — and perhaps in all of Texas music.

March 30, 2006