The wait is over, Josh Abbott Band‘s brand new album Somewhere Down the Road is finally here.
With the band’s first full length album in over three years, Texas troubadour Josh Abbott continues to prove that his sound is timeless, reminding fans with each release why he has been a legendary force on the Lone Star circuit and beyond for well over a decade now.
The Josh Abbott Band formed in Lubbock, TX at Texas Tech University in the mid-2000s, and quickly made an impact on the scene with the release of their debut record She’s Like Texas a few years later in 2010.
Coming right out of the gate with hit singles like the title track “She’s Like Texas” and “Oh, Tonight” featuring Kacey Musgraves, Abbott and company wasted no time etching their names into Texas and country music lore early on in their careers, and have maintained near royal status ever since.
Featuring 11 diverse tracks and an instrumental intro, the band’s seventh record Somewhere Down the Road is an eclectic album that features an amalgamation of several sonic styles and song subjects.
From introspective ballads that at times lament on Abbott’s wilder youth yet also shine a light on the family man he’s become, to decisively upbeat, honky tonking, beer drinking songs that’ll have you toe-tapping in your boots in no time, Abbott gracefully toes the line between both sides of the spectrum with deftly clever lyricism and carefully concocted instrumentation.
Mulling over the trichotomy of past, present, and future, and his place within the evolving ethos of each, the majority of this project seems to act as a window into Abbott’s mind and sentiments, alluding to shifting priorities with age yet staying in touch with his past and the experiences that have led him to where he is today, all while looking forward to what is to come down the road for his family and his band.
Sure, the majority of these tracks are co-writes, but Abbott had his hand in it all, and most of them seem to fit his story.
Give it a listen for yourself below.
“Astronaut Intro”
“Astronaut”
“The Sale”
“When the lights come on, the moths flutter in
Oblivious that radiance eventually goes dim
The solitude of midnight and the loneliness in the trail
Before too long there’s reflection but you can’t see yourself”
“What Were You Thinking”
“To say you saved me isn’t saying it right
You pulled me from the darkness girl in the nick of time
Traded my demons for a better life
But I still wonder what was going through your mind”
“Guilt of a Man”
“Wild stories roam from my past
And the hearts I broke when I lived too fast
And the shame I feel, careless behind the wheel
Do my mistakes embarrass you?
I wouldn’t blame you if they do”
“She”ll Always Be”
“She’s a long way from where she’s going
She ain’t going where she’s been
She’s in the middle of a song she’s still writing
She’s a wildflower
Growing up through the cracks in the concrete
She’s a wildflower
Wild and free, she’ll always be”
“Somewhere Down the Road”
“Every night I step out on this beat up weathered stage
Singing about my checkered past and how my soul got saved”
“Back To Normal”
“Closer To You”
“Unplug the Jug”
“Barstool Boys”
“Brutus, Judas and You”
“I didn’t think we’d be having our last supper sitting here in the kitchen
Thought we’d be breaking bread but hell instead we’re breaking dishes
You let the truth come out of your cheating mouth that you’ve been doing me wrong
Let me turn around and get the dagger out and I’ll get to moving on”
Somewhere Down the Road is another amazing project from one of country music’s best acts.
To ensure it all came together perfectly, Abbott employed the talents of producer Dwight A. Baker, who had previously lended a hand on the band’s 2015 masterpiece Front Row Seat. Hunkering down in the band’s hometown of Austin, TX at Baker’s Matchbox Studios to record the project, it’s obvious Abbott had the right people in his corner to make Somewhere Down the Road so special.
This album also marks the first project with a slightly new crew. Joining Abbott on this record is a fresh band lineup featuring new members Cale Richardson and Kris Farrow slinging guitar and Adam Hill on fiddle, as well as familiar faces and longtime band members David Fralin on keys, drummer Eddie Villanueva, Austin Davis on banjo, and bassist Jimmy Hartman.
Together these guys have made it obvious that they can burn it down, so if you like what you heard in Somewhere Down the Road, make sure to catch Josh Abbott Band live when they come through your city:
2/1 – House of Blues Orlando – Orlando, FL~
2/2 – The Underground – Charlotte, NC~
2/3 – Terminal West, Atlanta, GA~
2/9 – Lazy E Arena – Guthrie, OK !
2/10 – Andrews Chamber Banquet – Andrews, TX
2/15 – The Georgia Theatre – Athens, GA #
2/16 – Rick’s Cafe – Starkville, MS #
2/17 – The Hall – Little Rock, AR %
2/22 – Midnight Rodeo – Springfield, MO +
2/23 – The Hat – Manhattan, KS +
2/24 – The Cotillion – Wichita, KS +
3/9 – Choctaw Pocola CenterStage – Pocola, OK
3/16 – Frio River Music Fest – Concan, TX
3/22 – The Warehouse – Wichita Falls, TX
4/5 – George’s Majestic Lounge – Fayetteville, AR +
4/6 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK +
4/10 – Exit/In – Nashville, TN #
4/11 – Manchester Music Hall – Lexington, KY #
4/12 – Joe’s on Weed St – Chicago, IL
4/13 – 8 Seconds Saloon – Indianapolis, IN #
4/19 – Uptown Theatre – Kansas City, MO
4/20 – The Hawthorn – St. Louis, MO
4/26 – Stagecoach Festival – Indio, CA
5/31 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
6/8 – Main Street District – Carlsbad, NM
#w/ John Baumann
~w/ Braedon Barnhill
!w/ Brian Callihan
%w/ The Castellows
+w/ Angel White
