Deryl Dodd - Together Again

Deryl Dodd released three albums for Sony Nashville before returning home to Texas where he's seen his career flourish.  The former ACM New Male Vocalist nominee has just released this record on the Smith Music Group label.

Little has changed in Dodd’s traditional country sound, but he’s returned to his home state of Texas – where he recently released his second album, Together Again, for Fort Worth-based Smith Music Group.  There’s cowboy songs, tongue-in-cheek tunes and a heavy dose of gospel music with lots of other sounds mixed in for good measure. The title track is a cover of Buck Owens’ 1964 classic, “Together Again.” Dodd may have taken away the original version’s steel guitar, but he replaced it with electric guitar and a little bit more twang. An Academy of Country Music New Male Vocalist Nominee in the 1990’s, Dodd’s sounds still derive from that era, while many others have moved on.

“Back to The Honky Tonks” is an example of a song that would have right into that decade’s sound.  Dodd, however, gets a little bit cliché  on “You’re Not Lookin’ For”, which is about the age-old saying of how what you’re looking for is right under your nose. “Life Behind Bars” may have some double entendres – but caution “Folsom Prison Blues” fans, this is song is really about drinking, not doing time.  The tongue-in-cheek “Death, Taxes and Texas” is sure to draw a chuckle from anyone within the borders of the Lone Star State and may be a few outside of it.

“Beer And The Belly” might be the funniest song on the 12-song album, of which Dodd wrote or co-wrote nine of them.  It’s a true-to-life look at cause-and-effect – “you can’t have beer without the belly.” “It Don’t Take Much” has a simple, good meaning to it about the importance of helping others, but musically, it leaves something to be desired.  Give Dodd credit for originality towards the end of this album; he performs the gospel song “I’ll Fly Away” live in the studio with his band and then includes a 1959 recorded version of his grandparents singing, “John The Revelator. Holiday time also comes early for Dodd fans who should enjoy his “Home For Christmas” cut on this August-released album.

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