Bang-up year for the graying-at-the-temples set among Austin’s singer-songwriters. Michael Fracasso, Beaver Nelson, and Jon Dee Graham all released some of their best work, and now along comes David Halley, whose last album Stray Dog Talk unleashed a stunner in 1994. The Texas-reared Okie hasn’t actually been dormant for the past 22 years, gigging around town and always impressing with his songcraft. A Month of Somedays thus feels lived-in, reminding us of what Halley does best, which is get to the root of things: love and heartbreak, life and death. His scars are intact, yet the possibility of redemption always lurks around any corner. Aided by Will Sexton’s production and guest appearances from Rich Brotherton, BettySoo, and Amy LeVere, Lubbock’s adopted son veers from the earthy “A Love Severe” to the title track, as upbeat a song of mourning as exists. “Speed” deals with silently standing still. Yes, it’s taken a long time to get to A Month of Somedays, but even those who’ve never heard of David Halley are in for a batch of extraordinarily well-crafted songs. (CD release: Townsend, Saturday, Dec. 3)
This article appears in December 2 • 2016.