The frontman and creative lynchpin of Oklahoma’s finest, Other Lives, described by MOJO magazine as “the next must have American pastoral sensation,” Jesse and his chief collaborator Kim Tabish used their time during lockdown to fashion a glorious record, as epic as it is intimate, distinguished by the same sweeping, cinematic arrangements and haunting, wistful melodies that typify the band’s catalogue, but with a rawer edge that reflects its’ home made origins.
“The album isn’t necessarily ‘western’ sounding; it’s more that, if I name something immediately, it sticks for me, so the album title stayed Cowboy Ballads.” The album’s ballads are represented by ‘New Love’, ‘Price In Full’, ‘Rituals II’ and the instrumentals ‘Italia Nite I’ and ‘Dread Harp Blues’, simmering episodes fit for a cowboy as he rides off into the sunset though few cowboys post the existential thoughts that Jesse does here.
“The album isn’t necessarily ‘western’ sounding; it’s more that, if I name something immediately, it sticks for me, so the album title stayed Cowboy Ballads.” The album’s ballads are represented by ‘New Love’, ‘Price In Full’, ‘Rituals II’ and the instrumentals ‘Italia Nite I’ and ‘Dread Harp Blues’, simmering episodes fit for a cowboy as he rides off into the sunset though few cowboys post the existential thoughts that Jesse does here.
TRACK LISTING
1. Cowboy Ballad
2. Da DA
3. Italia Nite I
4. Manchini
5. Bells And Whistles
6. Dread Harp Blues
7. New Love
8. Castro
9. Keep You Right
10. Price In Full
11. Fantastik
12. Halloween Day
13. Mystic I
14. Rituals I I