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Album Review: Welcome to Hard Times by Charley Crockett (8/10)

Crockett isn’t a stranger to hard times. He has run the gamut, from scrapes with the law and growing up poor, to being homeless and busking on the streets of New Orleans and NYC. It’s doubtless those life lessons have fueled the sentiment and storylines behind this mix of dark and thoughtful country, honky tonk and blues-filled tunes. This is the kind of music that draws on classic artists like George Jones, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam, Freddy Fender, Buck Owens and others. The young Texan has a smooth, relaxed vocal style that amply accompanies cautionary tales of love, like “Fool Somebody Else” and “Wreck Me.”

Distributed by: Thirty Tigers

Produced by: Mark Neil and Dan Auerbach