As you might expect from The Casey Donahew Band's new album,
Double Wide Dream, they wear their white trash roots on their sleeves. With lines like, "she likes to cuss and fight and she can drink all night..." on the title song and "Grandma,she smoked all my swag and Dale Earnhart 3 under a rebel flag..." on "White Trash Story II" they make no pretense of sophistication. In fact, "White Trash Story II" sounds like an even more dysfunctional version of Robert Earl Keen's "Merry Christmas From The Family." With lots of songs about drinking and partying and the inevitable follow up songs about lost love, this album plays like a rehab confessional. It's a glimpse into the tortured soul of someone who means well, but feels the regrets of giving in (repeatedly) to temptation. Like Montgomerry Gentry, these guys will never be confused with Nashville's more polished performers. But for that authentic honky-tonk sound,
The Casey Donahew Band holds their own with fellow Texans Micky and the Motorcars, Jason Boland and the Stragglers and of course, early Pat Green. (Tell you what!) From the first chords of "Let You Go," Casey and company come out swinging with musical punch. With rockin' guitar and smokin' fiddle, the band swaggers through each track with the confidence born from playing over 200 live shows a year. "One Star Flag," one of the many highights on this album, finds them at their partying peak. With Jerry Lee Lewis inspired piano and Charlie Daniels' fueled fiddle, the song is a full throttle tribute to the Lone Star state. Another highlight, "Could Be My Time" takes a bluesy break from the partying theme of the album. With an optimistic eye toward the future Casey sings, "Keep on dreamin', reality's just believin' there's a chance..." Listening to this album, I have no doubt that this indeed could be their time. I hope we hear a lot more about these guys in the next few years!
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