Good times, bad times: The country innovator turns his gaze inward.
Joshua Ray Walker has so far preferred to find the people for his songs on the fringes of society. His sixth album AIN’T DEAD YET now shifts this order by looking inward. Formally, a lot remains familiar: the instrumentation of classic Americana, the precisely constructed songs, the characteristic, high voice and the look that is directed towards outlaw and Bakersfield country at the same time.
In terms of content, however, the motifs condense into a kind of self-questioning. AIN’T DEAD YET is an album about exhaustion, about loss of control, about the faint feeling that something is wrong. In retrospect, this premonition was given a name: the diagnosis of cancer. The album title is not only to be understood as a turn to classic country iconography (“Ain’t Gonna Die” once sang Justin Townes Earle, “I’m Still Here” the great Willie Nelson), but also as self-assurance, which of course never seems too contemplative.
The Texan still enjoys making things explode in his songs. Creating them in such a way that they don’t fit into format radio, or perhaps would have fit 30 years ago. It’s pointless to think about it, but one thing is clear: songs like the humorous “Texas Sober” or the “Shoot Me Straight” decorated with snappy brass can easily compete with the much-praised stories of the early work. And the final “Thank You For Listening” is one of the most touching thanks in a long time.
