Dickie Lee Erwin
There’s a Movie Goin’ On
Dickie Lee Erwin writes tough songs that are sentimental at the same time. Like lots of other country songwriters, many of Erwin’s songs are about breaking up; unlike many of his contemporaries, however, Erwin realizes that the important part is in picking up and moving on. With help from the likes of Scrappy Jud Newcomb, John Dee Graham, Don McCalister, and Floyd Domino, Erwin carves his songs out of everyday situations, slices of loss, heartbreak, and regret that are all too believable. Songs like “Grindstone” and “Line on the Horizon” (“I shape the things around me, what’s ahead I’ll leave behind”) bring equal helpings of pain and strength, adult yarns written from the perspective of experience. Unfortunately, this disc has a weird remoteness to the playing, with the band only breaking loose a bit on the three instrumentals and during the inspired guitar/steel break on “Scared.” What Erwin’s voice lacks in range, though, is more than made up for in conviction and feeling. There’s some pretty good stuff here and undeniable talent in Erwin’s songwriting; it’ll be nice to hear what he can do with some better production. 
This article appears in June 30 • 2000.