On his new album “Starvation Box” Dale Watson has gone in a new direction. Not to worry though, he hasn’t sold out and gone mainstream. He is not going Bro-Country or releasing a Luke Bryan covers album. In actuality, he has gone the other direction. Watson has descended deeper into his roots than ever before. “Starvation Box” is a mostly acoustic project diving into Blues and Country Blues. The name of the album and the title cut come from a story about Lead Belly. Apparently Lead Belly’s dad wasn’t all that thrilled with his son’s career choice and referred to the guitar as a starvation box. In fact, the influence of Lead Belly is front and center on most of the songs on the album. I have a feeling the title of the album is a bit tongue in cheek. Dale Watson coined the phrase Ameripolitan to describe his music. If he had come up through the 70’s he would no doubt have been at the top of the charts. Unfortunately, he did not and the riches and sold out stadiums never materialized. However, he also hasn’t starved with a five decade career playing traditional Country.
I must admit as long time fan of Dale Watson, my first listen was a little disconcerting. Where was the steel guitar? What, no drums or electric licks on a Fender? What isn’t missing is Watson’s distinctive voice, that is so earnest it draws you into these songs. This is truly one of his best works to date, and that is a mouthful. As Watson explains, “Living in Marshall, TX, the area so influential to Lead Belly, I went down the Lead Belly rabbit hole. It led me to a 1957 Stella 12-string guitar just like the one Lead Belly had, which his father called a ‘starvation box.’ I knew I had to write that song as an ode to Lead Belly. What I wrote was ok but with Mike Henderson’s additions and of course, his slide guitar and harmonica, I think we came up with a fitting tribute that I hope people like.”. The song that follows the title cut, “Whatever Happened to the Cadillac” laments the lack of appreciation for quality and the homogenous products we have in our current culture. As he sings, “Whatever happened to the radio. Music used to have so much soul. It all sounds the same I traced it back. Whatever happened to the Cadillac”. There are also some good story songs on the record. My favorite is “Billy Strawn”. It is the story of a mechanic who found $100 in the back of Elvis’ car. He promptly returned the money to Elvis. From that day forward, no one else worked on Elvis’ cars. All of the songs whether Blues or Country Blues or even the Rockabilly influenced “Down Down Down Down”, display depth even with stripped down production. Not only do the songs have musical depth, but the lyrics have depth and sincerity also. This is in truth no starvation box, but an album that will leave you full.
About the author: Chip and his family live in Birmingham, AL. Roll Tide!