With the embarrassment of riches, independent country music fans are enjoying these days amid myriad of options where and from whom to get their country fix outside of corporate radio. You can make the mistake of overlooking Midwestern country singers and performers David Quinn. His first 2019 record Wanderin 'Fool definitely had some ears with the classic country throwback sound hinting at' 50s gold, from the style and instrumentation to the recording approach.
Now David Quinn is back and modernized his sound a bit – at least until the 60s and 70s. With the new record Letting Go he says, "Okay, I mastered some of the earliest versions in the country with my first record, now let me tackle the outlaw era." He sincerely tattooed songs on the wall with seductive halftime grooves Steel Guitar and Telecaster Takes and everything else that made Vietnam-era country music cool then and now.
Producers Mike Stankiewicz and Micah Hulscher, who are best known as keyboardists for Margo Price, take Quinn's vision and lead it with them. Hulscher also brought in fellow Pricetag band members Dillon Napier (drums) and Jamie Davis (guitar), and then brought in some top notch wrestlers in "Smokin '" Brett Resnick, known for laying steel leaks for Kelsey Waldon and now Kacey Musgraves and the immortal Laur Joamets of Sturgill Simpson and now Drivin & # 39; & Cryin & # 39; Fame.
Consider the cast who have been put together to pursue David Quinn's Letting Go as a true all-star team of musicians from East Nashville. But where so many of the records hailing from this region routinely fall short of expectations for a variety of reasons, this record delivers that sweaty, gritty, harsh country sound that you crave with just the right amount of rock & # 39; n & # 39; n & # 39; n & # 39; n & # 39; # 39; roll so as not to go over the line.
Too often East Nashville records are burdened with a monotonous production that is supposed to sound “vintage” or with artists avoiding their touring bands for supposedly great studio artists who often don't understand the mood the music craves. While David Quinn is not considered a major part of the East Nashville scene, he may have put out a record that is one of the best examples of this, at least in terms of the sound and use of the players that help define it.
David Quinn's songwriting is a great audio sample and intelligently creates the ideal canvas for these players and the music. At the same time, check marks and assignable texts and topics are presented. But maybe Quinn shows room for improvement in songwriting. While letting go never hits the wrong note, it never really goes below the surface. A couple of songs that speak to something deeper would have given the album a little more gravity. Everything is fun when you let go, but when you write you can have your most lasting impact.
But man, when the guitar solo starts on "Ride On" or that two-tone outlaw baseline starts with "100 Miles" and "Midnightin 'Woman", you know you have landed in the right place. These songs about letting go and leaving anger are a perfect fit for a true country music fan.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
