Shinyribs
Well After Awhile (Nine Mile)Shinyribs spins off Gourds figurehead Kevin Russell, and if Well After Awhile were a new entry to the overstuffed roots market, he’d be hailed as one of the discoveries of the year. Instead, he’s Richards in the Jagger-Richards slot of the beloved Austin song farmers, rural mentalities in urban drag. That’s still selling Russell short: He’s the anti-frontman, with a chameleon quality to his singing that swings from cornpone honk to silky soul in a breath. Better, he’s a prolific songwriter of remarkable ability, capable of twisting that voice around his hardscrabble songs with unexpected emotion. “I’m a little bit crazy, but I ain’t no fool,” he croons on “Country Cool,” sage advice for sly lyrics that brag, “I don’t like giving my dollars to China … but I’ll give ’em all to Mexico and Milwaukee, 12 aluminum cans at a time.” Like Russell’s unscripted performances, Awhile dances a checkered floor of sweet waltzes and laments (“Morning’s Night,” “Fisherman’s Friend”), divine spiritual fervor (“Shores of Galilee”), and funky beats (“East TX Rust”) and ends the night with a cover of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” so sublime it demands an encore.
This article appears in June 25 • 2010.