You know the saying: you gotta dance with the one who brung ya. Having spent years being the frontman and/or guitarist for a few outlaw honky tonk southern rock bands, that was the obvious choice of style for Andy Thomas’ newest record, Highway Junkie. As you might have intimated from the album’s title, he had a deep need for the activities of the road warrior lifestyle–the music, the performances, the booze. At some point it became apparent he couldn’t have all of those, so with some sobriety under his belt and a cleansing move to Florida, he started writing songs again. When he had enough to get started, he called his old buddy Dave Schools (Widespread Panic) to be the producer and they set out to make a record.
The title track and opening cut on the CD is a southern rocker replete with plenty of scorching guitar and honky tonk piano. It serves not only as the theme of the album but also Thomas’ recent journey “trying to make a living off these rhythms.” Freedom Song is a little more in the spirit of classic rock & roll and could segue into just about any 70’s road song. Down the Line (first cut on side 2 for you vinyl junkies) is honky tonk rock with some sweet B3 organ. It’s kind of a modern take on the tale of a ramblin’ man who’s here today but gone tomorrow. Doubling down on all the good stuff on those songs is Long Gone, with one of the best kiss-off lines, “you done me wrong…so here’s your long gone song.”
Thomas has no problem slowing things down to showcase a more emotional side of his craft. Twin Flames is a ballad about a couple of old souls who keep finding each other, life after life. It’s love that was truly meant to be. Runaway has a greasy, infectious groove that highlights Thomas on slide, acoustic, and regular 6-string electric guitar. The subject is “picture perfect from a distance” but there’s no doubt she’s going to bail on any relationship. The most surprising track is an old school country western number, Nothing I Wouldn’t Do (For You), featuring Appalachian music chanteuse Dori Freeman, who was an inspired choice for the duet. The song itself was a Christmas gift from Thomas to his life partner, Dana.
Andy Thomas got his 10,000 hours playing guitar across the dive bar circuit in the Southeastern U.S. That experience is reflected in spades on his new album. So when you’re ready for some gritty, twangy rock and roll, drop the needle on Highway Junkie.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.