25. March 2025
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Media Review

Charley Crockett – The Man From Waco

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Charley Crockett - The Man From Waco

Charley Crockett - The Man From Waco
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Great musical quality and range
  • Great songs with a rather limited range of technical effort

The Man from Waco is already my fourth review of a Charley Crockett album. After the my previous review featured an album branded as Lil G.L., he is back under his normal name. The album has been released on 9th September 2022.

 

Charley Crockett – About The Artist

Charley Crockett is a Texas-origin country music artist. He was born in 1984 in San Benito. You will find quite some bio information in my three previous reviews, Welcome To Hard Times, Music City USA and Jukebox Charley.

 

Charley Crockett – The Man From Waco – Track by Track

The fifteen track album lasts 45 minutes.

1. The Man From Waco Theme (Band Interlude)

The album starts with this instrumental warm up. 58 seconds to get into the right mood for The Man From Waco.

2. Cowboy Candy

The sound of Cowboy feels so much like other Charley Crockett recordings. The Texas artist creates a harmonic, slow and quiet classic country music sound. A song like having a slow ride on a horse towards the sun set in the Mid West: easy, relaxed, no need to hurry, no need to worry.

3. Time Of The Cottonwood Trees

You feel another great feature of Charley Crockett’s music in songs like Time Of The Cottonwood Trees. Regardless if you listen to them at home or whether they are presented on stage, they give you the same atmosphere. Critics may say that the songs somehow feel like demos – but on the other hand, this is one of the key factors which make Crockett’s music so authentic. Beautiful storytelling in here.

4. Just Like Honey

Compared to the two opening songs, Just Like Honey feels very rhythmic, almost like a pop song. However, Charley Crockett stays within his musical boundaries, fans don’t need to be worried. Nonetheless, a very entertaining listen.

5. I’m Just A Clown

Another thing which is telling you that Charley Crockett is doing his thing and does not care about mainstream producers is the number of songs, which have already been released before the album. If you look at The Man From Waco, fans so far just know two tracks, the title track and this one here, I’m Just A Clown. The song comes with cool brass sound lines and a very present groove – feels like a cool listen with a nice blues touch.

6. Black Sedan

I love the melodic arrangement of Black Sedan: the guitars open the song with a lovely theme, the keys add a beautiful ease. The bass groove is cool and the steel guitars are howling. Just so many good things about this song.

7. The Man From Waco

The title tracks opens like the background music to the showdown scene of a 1970’s Western movie. The composition of the lyrics and the instruments lead to one of the most impressing and memorable listens of the album. A truly deserved title song and a must-listen – even if the trumpets are maybe pushing a bit too much to boost the atmosphere.

8. Trinity River

Trinity River introduces a very new style to the album. I would describe the song as almost a country-jazz song. It works with inspiring keyboard lines, a strong groove and – again – the intense use of brass. Cool sound.

9. Tom Turkey

The ninth song again works with very present bass and guitar lines. On top of the very groovy atmosphere, Charley Crockett is telling you the story of Tom Turkey. Feels like a country music jam of some really good country musicians – and that’s also what turns these 3:33 minutes into a great listen.

10. Odessa

The song about Odessa on my mind is a slow, almost melancholic recording. Nice organ sounds and a beautiful performance by Crockett himself on the microphone.

11. All The Way From Atlanta

The eleventh is a very personal description of a trip All The Way From Atlanta and all the things which have happened on the road. Again, Crockett does magic by creating such a beautiful atmosphere and telling a great stories without using a vast range of instruments.

12. Horse Thief Mesa

Apart from interludes and the intro track, Horse Thief Mesa is the shortest song of the album. Great combination of storytelling and instrumental strength – in this track, the fast played guitar is a key element.

13. July Jackson

The album covers all kinds of stories – the one of July Jackson is a bit more on the dramatic side, as the first verses already tell you, see below. Great song.

Somebody told me
That she took her husband’s life
Said she did it with a smile
And the twisting of a knife.

14. The Man From Waco (Acoustic Interlude)

There is full focus on the instrumentalists during these 33 second. A short interlude, just for the great finale.

15. Name On A Billboard

The closer has a rather happy and positive vibe. A nice way to look back to his musician’s career (Hey look, my name’s on the Billboard).

 

Charley Crockett – The Man From Waco – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Charley Crockett – The Man From Waco – My View

Charley Crockett does another great one. He is keeping his unique style, telling great stories, doing very different atmospheres… and another set of 15 tracks is in the book. At least it feels that easy when you listen to the songs – I am sure, it is a hell of work behind it. The result states: the effort is worth it.

 

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