Singer-songwriter great Dwight Yoakam has released his 16th studio album and the first for nearly a decade. In between his last, Dwight's real claim to fame has been becoming a father for the first time - at the ripe old age of 63.
And guess who makes an appearance on his new release. Brighter Days. Yes, his four-year-old son Dalton! Not only is he the subject of the title track, but little Dalton has a cameo big enough to warrant a credit as a co-writer. And, for good measure, he gets to sing the song's closing stanza.
For family is very important these days for the once-confirmed bachelor. In 2020 he married photographer Emily Joyce and baby Dalton soon followed. And, as with any good family man, life - and music - is all about collaboration for Dwight these days.
In fact, for the first time in his career of 40 years, or more, the latest release is largely a collection of co-writes. "I don't co-write a lot," he told Billboard. "The first one was a very auspicious beginning, with Roger Miller in 1990. Most albums, probably 70% or 80%, is my own solo writing."
There are some interesting covers, but all the original songs were co-written with a variety of songwriters, including Jeffrey Steele, Bob DiPero, Shane Minor, Bryan Joyce and - as mentioned - young Dalton.
Added to this, is his big-name collaboration with pop-rapper-turned-country star Post Malone. The pair swap verses on the album's first single "I Don't Know How to Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom)," one of the last tracks written and - infused by fiddle and pedal steel - it is perhaps the most honky-tonkish of the collection: Bang bang boom boom/Is how a broken heart beats on
Despite the tag-team effort, Brighter Days is still the Dwight of old - the Dwight who captivated country music in the mid-80's with distinctive high-lonesome sound and his unique fusion of the Bakersfield sound with rock 'n' roll and bluegrass. And at 68, his voice remains as dominant as ever.
All the hybrid that is Yoakam is very much here. For one minute, he is blasting out full country rock, with full reverb,on such tracks as the opening "Wide Open Heart" and "Can't Be Wrong." The next he is more soothing on "California Sky" - one of the six co-writes with Nashville-based Steele - and then wears heart-on-sleeve with "I Spell Love" -- I spell love L O V U
And that leads to the family-devoted "Brighter Days" which all began with a cute moment with Dalton. "He had a little Fender Telecaster-shaped ukulele he would wear," Yoakam told Billboard. "He came bouncing in the room one day and said 'Get your guitar?' I picked it up and he would attempt to answer what I would play. I looked at him and said, 'You know what? The future is you.' And I started singing 'Brighter Days' and he kind of sang it back to me." Brighter Days that's what you said/The first time you ever spoke to me
The few covers include a very melodic version of Cake's wonderful travelogue "Bound Away" and an upbeat, harmony-infused cover of "Time Between," a Chris Hillman number from Younger Than Yesterday, the fourth album by the Byrds. But the most innovative cover is the popular Carter Family classic "Keep On The Sunny Side." It opens with an a cappella harmony of the very-singalong verse before exploding into foot-tapping country-rock which Dwight matches with his high vocals.
The new album marks Yoakam's split with recording giant Warner Records. Instead, this is a release on his own label Via Records, in partnership with Thirty Tigers, the Nashville-based promoters of individual artists who convinced him it was time for another album.
Few can disagree with that!
Paul Cutler
Editor Crossroads - Americana Music Appreciation
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