Chris Fullerton’s voice burns with an emotion pulled from the darkest places, raw and cutting. The local songwriter’s proper debut announces itself in the high-lonesome Hank Williams howl of “Bad Winds” as readily as it does in the easy strum and twanged growl of “Come to Texas,” which both capture their author’s full spectrum of effortless melody. Epilepsy Blues shifts between exhuming deep despair and reaching for simple strands of hope, the weeping fiddle and slight tremble of “I Feel Nothing” and solitary self-pity of “Motel Blues” balanced by the light “Ma Chere Amie” and hard-drawled love of “Float on up and See.” The title track’s black humor hinges on a shaking rockabilly-blues rhythm. Fullerton’s debut may very well be the best local surprise of the year.

***.5

This article appears in September 1 • 2017.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.