Singer-songwriter, Chris Stapleton has been around longer than most people realise. Since the hit providing Stapleton has a tidy number of musicians who have enjoyed success on covering his songs in Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and George Strait; even pop act Adele has covered one of his songs.
Adding to this there’s his work with bluegrass ensemble The Steeldrivers. Stapleton’s 15-year career has to date not been short of highs, award nominations (three Grammys) and winner of the IBA Emerging Artist with the band. As for his solo debut Traveller Stapleton performs music of a more rebellious tone as he combines country, blues and hints of southern and otherwise rock with a pounding rhythm of the road. Close your eyes and you could imagine ol’ Waylon giving him the nod, sharing a few swigs from the bottle and lend some harmony vocal as he sings “Whiskey And You”; a cutting, heart-wrenching ballad that fair rips your heart out! It isn’t the only song of the record where there’s whiskey in the title, because Stapleton does a sterling cover of Dean Dillon – Linda Hargrove song, “Tennessee Whiskey”. While with an urgent unrelenting rhythm “Nobody To Blame” (a co-write w / Ronnie Bowman and Barry Bales) is of an essence Jennings would have taken to. The good stuff doesn’t stop here due to “More To You”, another he wrote with Bowman (and the more acoustic leaning song of the record) not only has some inviting mandolin but the wondrous female vocal harmonies of Morgane Stapleton see it home as Stapleton speaks in glowing and flowing terms of his undying love, and how his partner is like heaven to him.
The other cover on the record is Don Sampson’s “Was it 26”; and to back it up you have killer ballad “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore” and well chosen entitled songs “The Devil Named Music” and “Outlaw State Of Mind”. The latter being a song the likes of Hank Williams Jnr and country singer-songwriter legend, Steve Young would have been proud to have written. Southern, bruising and awash in impassioned lyrics and swirling lead electric guitar (Stapleton), punishing rhythm (Derek Mixon, JT Cure and producer, Dave Cobb) it blows like a hurricane. Others involved, instrumentally are Mickey Raphael, Robby Turner and Mike Webb; to close the record Stapleton dips into the world of soulful blues on heart-wrenching piece “Sometimes I Cry”, and though it doesn’t fit particularly well with the remainder of the record it is excellent in its own right. For one it is a long way from the title-cut, steel guitar doused “Traveller”, and aforementioned “More of You”, but that could be the beauty of the record in that it is eclectic and rich in inspired decisions as in the live track.
Oh, to add to the musical genres listed about you need to add gritty, modern day backwoods, roving earthy country! If you don’t listen to another album before the New Year sit down and listen to Traveller; you won’t be disappointed for Chris Stapleton not only writes some of the finest bare to the bone country but sings it too.
Maurice Hope