Charley Crockett – The Valley LP

Description

Charley Crockettspent the last few years of the 2010s cranking out albums as if he was attempting to outrun a demon. In a sense, that’s true.Crockettbegan his life with a diagnosis of Wolf Parkinson’s White Disease, a congenital heart disease that he’s lived with his entire life. Not long after he supported a pair of terrific albums in 2018 with a grueling tour schedule, he noticed his heart condition worsening, so a series of surgeries were arranged and just prior to going under the knife, he wrote and recorded the songs that compriseThe Valley. Bearing the subtitle “And Other Autobiographical Tunes,”The Valleydoes indeed bear the marks of memoir, containing songs about his hardscrabble childhood and colorful journey. Where some songwriters might stare down death’s door with a mournful gaze,Crockettexhibits a considerable sense of warmth and good humor here. In the face of death,Crocketthas decided to dig deep within the aspects of music he loves, relying on weathered cowboy ballads, barrel-chested blues, lean rockabilly, and rangy Texas honky tonk. The eclecticism is never forced: it rolls easy, sounding like the juke joint of your dreams.The Valleyfeels so alive, it’s something of a wonder thatCrockettmade the music while he was unsure of whether he’d see the next year, but that speaks greatly to his gifts as a musician. During his darkest moments,Crockettrelies on the instincts that make him a delightfully unpredictable Americana artist and winds up with a record that sums up his word view quite elegantly. -All Music Guide