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County Road
X: Self-Titled
Since 2001, this sextet has blazed its way across the high country to venerate its open space with majestic odes to a time long since forgotten. Along with the precision of pedal-steel guitarist Glenn Taylor and the lingering haunts of bassist/accordionist Doug Anderson, Erik Deutch's piano-playing anchors the raw intensity of Boulder, Colorado's surrounding landscapes. From the album's opener, "Kith and Kin," we are treated to an intimacy generally reserved for those fortunate enough to experience the clear blue skies of the Midwestern states in America. The fragility of Deutch's piano is balanced with the serenity provided by James Hoskin's cello with sparse notes from Anderson's accordion thrown into the mix. This combination is representative of the rest of the music found on this self-titled debut, but it is to be noted that not a word is uttered throughout the record, as it would completely deter from the sumptuousness of the music. Boulder's flourishing jazz scene influences many of the sounds heard here, especially with "One Race," where the listener may appreciate another level of Deutch's classical proficiency on the piano right before being launched back into a world where twang reigns supreme. What is most important in the group is County Road X's patience, as it is the key element to their distinctiveness. While Boulder is a town that thrives on jam bands that noodle endlessly, Country Road X gets the point across going against the grain by controlling the urge to go off the deep end. This is especially true with "Parlor Song", a song with the ability to combine the Wild Wild West with the Australian Outback without an overbearing sense of hokiness. The closing track, "First Language," is an unmistakable melding of Yann Tiersen with an irresistible honkytonk-esque feeling that could make any city slicker feel right at home. This is certainly not the sort of album that should be overlooked even if you proclaim "Americana ain't my thing."
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