Phases and Stages

D.B. Harris

Can I Return These Flowers? A relatively new addition to the Austin country music scene, D.B. Harris shows a great deal of promise with his self-released debut, Can I Return These Flowers? Over the course of 10 songs, he manages to cover a lot of musical ground, from Tex-Mex opener "You're Too Much For Me" and the Western swinging title track to the rockabilly-flavored "Hollywood in Texas." The problem is that Harris lacks a singular voice to distinguish him from acts working similar territory. Over the course of the disc, his music recalls Roy Orbison, the Mavericks, Dwight Yoakam, Chris Isaak, and other country-inflected rockers, yet one would be hard pressed to say which one is the real Harris. It's all well-performed, as he's lined local heavy hitters guitarist Eddie Perez, bassist Brad Fordham, pedal steel player Ricky Davis, pianist Riley Osborne, and fiddler Eamon McLoughlin to bring his songs to life. As debuts go, Can I Return These Flowers? is a strong start, but there's a fine line between possessing one's own style and wearing your influences on your sleeve. Next time out, Harris would be better served by a little less of the latter and a whole lot more of the former.