If I Ever Get Away, My Review of Tracy Walton's New Album

Back in 2012 Tracy Walton conducted a fundraiser on Kickstarter to raise money to produce his second album. I made a small donation, waited patiently. If I Ever Get Away is the new album. I should have sent more money.

What I've come to consider the "Tracy Walton" sound is evident in this album. All ten of the songs have the flair, the guitar work, the thought provoking lyrics that his fans have come to expect. The first two songs are Walls and Songs For You and each showcases what I found throughout the album.

The lyrics in Walls made me consider the barriers in our lives, how they change with time, with relationships and with maturity.

"When I was a boy I didn't know about walls

When I was a teen, I jumped them all.

As a young man, I'd knock them down

When I grew old, I walked around."

"And now you're on the other side

And I don't believe you're justified

To worry about me and my wandering eyes

Cause they always come back to you."

Tracy originally named the album Songs For You and that song is one of my favorites on the album. Its one of those story songs. You can almost see two people sitting on separate porches, miles and years apart-yet still connected. The video writes itself, just pick two people. I'd go with Kevin Costner and Sandra Bullock. You might choose Justin Beiber and Miley Cyrus. If so heaven help you, I can't.

"Are you thinking about me right now

I'm thinking about you

Look at all the time that's passed

Children grow and nothing lasts, Then there's you

And though we've found a hint of gray

My thoughts might've slipped and my voice might fade

But still I'll sing, I'll sing, I'll sing

Songs for you."

Redeemed is the only duet on the album. Tracy recorded a video of it with Sallylu Sianni, who sings great harmony with him. (I have been unable to find out anything else about her so if anyone has any links to her please let me know.)

If Reedemed is not a song about two people, a couple who have lost their way then I not only missed the boat- I completely fell off the planet!

"Your far away from me now

So far away from me now, but somehow

I think you can see, the things I need

I know I'm a long way from being redeemed

Why must you hold on so tight

If you let go I won't take flight

I wish you could see, the things you mean

I know I'm a long way from being redeemed."

I have a personal story about Beer Is Now Cheaper Than Gas. I learned the "99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall" song when I was a kid in the late fifties. That part of this song dates back to the mid 20th Century and I thought all kids learned it growing up. My ten year old granddaughter had never heard it, but I saw her start grinning when Tracy got to 97 bottles! We were riding in my Avalanche and the CD was playing in the background. She now forwards though all the other tracks on this album to get to what she calls the "beer song".

Beer Is Now Cheaper Than Gas could be a country National Anthem. If Toby Keith had recorded it, there'd be a gazillion rednecks singing it every night in Honky Tonks all over this great country by now! Wonder if Tracy has a black Stetson somewhere?

Here's the video, looks like somebody had a good time making it. Well, everybody actually! And Tracy is riding his bike, it’s not a Triumph but hey, nobody’s perfect!

Life Goes On is a striking piece of work. It is beautiful, sort of dark and disquieting. I can’t get Kevin Spacey out of my head when I listen to it. There’s a short story there for me but I haven’t quite discovered it. We’ll see...

That is exactly my point about Tracy’s music. It makes you think. You dwell on it and in it.

"Americana" is one of the tags for this album and since everything I know about music I learned on American Idol, I had to look Americana up. ( I am NOT watching this season, that Nicky Mirage person gets on my last nerve!) Anyway Wikipedia says Americana is "an amalgam of roots music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American music ethos..."

Thanks, Wiki for clearing that up! If they're trying to say there's something for everyone in this music I'd say thats about right.

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