A taster for an enticing album from the Lubbock Rodeo Rider; Ross Cooper.
Release Date: 27th August 2021
Label: Start Swimming Records
Formats: Download
Ross Cooper is quite a guy. Now resident in Nashville, he hails originally from Lubbock, Texas and, he’ll be quick to inform you, it’s in Texas where his heart still lies. Lubbock is, of course, the hometown of Buddy Holly and it lies at the south end of The High Plains; I suppose, to we Brits, it’s the epitome of Cowboy Country. Indeed, as a youngster, Ross gravitated towards the town’s rodeo; he learned to ride broncs and he blossomed into a fully paid-up member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). But his mother was a musician and, following an injury that put paid to his rodeo ambitions, Ross decided that music was his true destiny.
Influenced by the melancholy of his Lubbock city surroundings, and by his love of horses and the musical writings of Robert Earl Keen and Townes Van Zandt, Ross has developed a writing style that combines those influences with a soupçon of Springsteen, and it’s a recipe that he serves up by the ladle-full on his albums (as well as the forthcoming Chasing Old Highs, his 2018 album I Rode The Wild Horses is also well worth a listen). And the international music press have not been slow to prick up their ears; Rolling Stone, no less, included Ross on its 2018 list of “10 Country Artists You Need to Know.” Ross Cooper is going places.
On 1st October 2021, Ross will release a deluxe edition of his third album, Chasing Old Highs and, if this short article whets your appetite for his gritty, freewheeling brand of authentic country-rock, then keep an eye on these pages for a full review of that album – coming very soon… Chasing Old Highs was originally released in February 2021, and the forthcoming deluxe version of the albumwill include two new songs, Cowboy Things and the delicious new single, Indian Summer that didn’t feature on the original track listing.
A co-write with Gable Bradley (Fire and Gasoline and What are You Made Of are just two of Gable’s fine songs), Indian Summer is a hummable, danceable delight that gets right into your bloodstream. After an acoustic guitar/pedal steel intro, the song cranks into gear with crisp, sharp drums and a twangy electric guitar underpinning Ross’s keening, wistful vocal. The lyrics sing of loss, likening the disintegration of a long-established relationship to the ending of a fondly enjoyed summer. The song’s punchline, “The god days don’t last, and if they do, not forever,” is a sentiment we can all relate to. Indian Summer is 4+ minutes of real pleasure – give it a listen and whet your appetite for the enticing main course of Chasing Old Highs – coming soon.
Ross Cooper is a name to watch…
Get yourself a taste of Ross Cooper – listen to Hello Sunshine, another track from the Chasing Old Highs album here:
Ross Cooper Online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube / Spotify
You can follow At The Barrier on Twitter here, and like us on Facebook here. We really appreciate your support.
Categories: Album Review, EP Review, Featured, Single Review
