I used to really like Country and Western when it was performed like guys that actually lived a life, not like 99% of the present artists that are total posers and wouldn’t know how to ride a horse, drive a tractor or dig a ditch if their lives depended on it. Do all of them have to have polished nails? This guy, Thom Chacon, sounds like a throwback to Cash, Jennings and the like, when a guy told a story like he actually might have lived it, and didn’t buy it from the latest songwriter. He’s done this one with the sparest of support, essentially Bob Dylan’s rhythm team of Tony Garnier and George Receli, and Chacon brings all the rest to the table. His voice is a mix of early Zimmerman and a dash of Hiatt, with just a dash of David Allen Coe’s attitude thrown in. His songs give warnings about the “quintessential” American life (as opposed to what it really means to be an American) on “American Dream,” as well as a breakup/bondage song to his liquid tormenter in “Alcohol.” He’s looking for something beyond what he can see, which means he’s got a soul he wants to take care of in “A Life Beyond Here,” which feels like he means it. Each song sounds as if you’re sitting next to a buddy in a truck, and trying to figure out what you’re doing with your life. Check him out.
www.thomchacon.com