Some songs, and albums, take you to a particular time in your life, junior year in high school maybe, or the first summer of backyard barbecues in your first home. Â Others take you to an era, the 30’s of NY with early Duke Ellington, or Bakersfield in the early 60’s with Buck Owens. Â And some take you to a place–how can you think of anything but New Orleans when you hear Professor Longhair’s Tipitina? Â The sophomore release from Austin-based Ghosts Along the Brazos, When It Rains It Pours, falls into the last category. Â For reasons I can’t fully explain it takes me straight to the Hill Country of Texas.
I suppose what really leads me there is the mix of swing and country waltzes and jazz riffs, sprinkled with some Norteno and pop, all rolled into a Friday night dance hall. Â Take Down ‘n’ Lonely, a waltz featuring Connor Forsyth on piano and guest Warren Hood on fiddle. Â You can just see the couples on the dance floor, hear the chatter by the bar, and sense the hipsters with their eyes closed just absorbing the vibe. Â Part Of the Past takes you there, too, as does the title track.
There’s also a couple of serious uptempo tunes. Â Corndog Shuffle could have been a Little Feat number with its boogie piano and Kristopher Wade’s sweet bass lines. Â Beaver Stew is kind of a Junior Brown meets Austin Lounge Lizards song. Â My favorite on the album is a bit the outlier; I’ll Get Home, with its Randy Newman lyrical hooks and pop sounds.
 When It Rains It Pours is only 8 songs and 25 minutes, but there’s no filler.  If you want to get a sense of,  or just have a reminder, of a warm summer night in Gruene Hall, this is the record for you.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.