Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
Wow! This is a very nice release. Sounds like a wonderful mix of Robert Earl Keene and Bob Dylan. It has a little country, folk, and rock and roll. This guy knows how to write and craft a beautiful song. He also went old school by recording live to 24 track tape and then the mixing was done on tape as well. It has that nostalgic feel with expert production and sound. Austin is a recurring theme on the album, being the title track and well as the album title. Austin I also where all of the recording and mixing took place.
Get Along (Track 10) grabbed my ear tightly and held it like a vice. It is a very catchy and infectious song that I have found myself playing over and over. The song is about making it somehow, through the good and the bad times. It is a well written chronicle about perseverance and the ability to adapt. It is something that everyone can relate to. There is also a very nice Mark Knopfler style guitar solo. Whiskey Creek (Track 11) is a toe tapping country number that harkens back to the old days of two stepping and log cabins with plenty of fiddle and hand clapping. This is a story about going back up whiskey creek to reclaim life. Sounds like a metaphor for regret and weighing good and bad. It is a great old time country song. Long Way To Go (Track 1) is a perfect upbeat and thought provoking number to open Austin Blues with. All in all, a great release from Sean Devine. Hopefully he will have something new for us soon.
You can listen to Austin Blues here.