Dean Owens - Whisky Hearts

by Malcolm Carter

published: 22 / 11 / 2007

Label: Vermillion Road
Format: CD

Exceptionally strong and versatile third album, recorded in Tennessee, from Edinburgh-born singer-songwriter and former frontman with country rock band the Felsons, Dean Owens

Review

'Whisky Hearts' is the third solo album from the one time member of Scottish country rock band the Felsons, and an exceptionally strong set of songs it turns out to be. It’s a slick collection of tunes which belie the fact that they were recorded in Tennessee during a spell of ice storms and tornadoes. There is a warmth generated by both Owens' vocals and the band of talented musicians (including Thad Cockrell who adds harmonies on a couple of songs, Al Perkins with his pedal steel and dobro and Will Kimbrough); if those names mean anything to you then you will definitely find plenty to like here. Elements of the music those guys have been involved with (Flying Burrito Brothers, Rodney Crowell to name a couple) hang heavy over these songs along with a lot more besides. But Owens is far from a copyist. While his music from the past can be firmly labelled ‘country rock’ there is more than enough of his own identity in these songs to raise him above the crowd. The opening song, ‘Years Ago’ ( we’ll ignore the first listed ‘track’ which is called ‘Carter’s Intro’, while it’s obviously a nod to engineer Brian Carter it’s a pointless seven second count down and more annoying than amusing. Why list it at all?) is a superb slice of Springsteen type rock, due in no small part to the blazing saxophone of Jeff Coffin. Again Owen injects enough of his own musical vision into the song to ensure that for all the images of The Boss that it evokes it is still more than a blatant rewrite of one of Springsteen’s best. I have to admit that I’d take ‘Years Ago’ over any track on the recently released ‘Magic’ even though it was a return to form for New Jersey’s finest. With the second song, ‘Beth On The Trampoline’ Owen shows he is not a one trick pony with a surprisingly soulful yet dreamy reading of a song which due to being written about a young child could have been mawkish in other hands and the Isley Brothers summer vibe he was aiming for with this song he absolutely nails. The following song again takes another turn musically, nearly as far removed as it is possible to be from that classic soul sound of the previous track; ‘Nothing To Lose’ is an out and out rocker of a song. Three songs in and a musician who even I have labelled as country rock due to his past work has made the greatest Bruce song in years, recalled warm, summer days of old with an update of the classic soul sound and then topped it all off with a good old fashioned rocker. And all that is before he hits us with possibly a career highlight in ‘Adrift’, a beautiful melody disguising the sad tale of homeless girl “Once so young and so pretty" Owens sings and “Your heart is in the same place, the past is nowhere to be found”. Such sad songs set to such a comofrting tune. Genius. Al Perkins all but steals the show on the song ‘Miss You CA’; his pedal steel is all over the song along with some beautiful guitar which brings to mind the Byrds. With Owen pouring his heart out while longing to return to California it shows yet another side to this talented musician from Edinburgh. Which makes the longing for Glasgow in ‘Raining In Glasgow’ seem a little strange ; it’s another strong song nevertheless, name checking both the Barrowlands and Elvis Costello and with beautiful harmony vocals from Jen Gunderman really adding more texture to the song. The album closes ( almost…there is a short ‘hidden track that follows) with a tribute to Owens’s father; ‘Man From Leith’ details Owen senior’s life and relationship with his son and is particularly touching. Again Owen avoids the song taking an overly sentimental stance and his vocals have rarely been better than on this song. I came to this album expecting good solid country rock and got almost everything but. While that high lonesome sound is never far from these songs the way Owen blends so many styles together while keeping it all uniquely the sound of Dean Owen is no easy task. But it is one he achieves. You know those albums that seem to come out of nowhere and blow you away? Welcome to ‘Whisky Hearts’.

Track Listing:-

1 Sand In My Shoes
2 Just Another Sunday
3 Years Ago
4 Raining In Glasgow
5 Beth On The Trampoline
6 Man From Leith
7 Adrift
8 Hallelujah
9 Miss You CA
10 Whisky Hearts