Album: Two Thousand Miles / Artist: Owen Temple / 12 tracks / El Paisano Records
The timbre of Texas singer / songwriter, Owen Temple’s voice on his country music CD Two Thousand Miles, reminds one a lot of George Strait in the mid eighties. Temple’s vocals are smooth, but they still possess a swagger. You can hear him smiling through lines such as, “I’ve had rodeo dreams since I was a child,” from his original tune “Swear It Off Again.” He also possesses the same rugged good looks as fellow Texan, Matthew McConaughey, so what’s not to like? Oh did we happen to mention that he is also the sole songwriter for all the tracks on this album, with the exception of the first song, “You Want To Wear That Ring,” which he co-wrote with Wade Bowen.
These are cowboy songs, not attempts to turn country music into pop, countrified rap or something else that is in no way related to the roots of country music, as some more recent day artists have attempted to do. He has the prerequisite number of relationship songs, “Red Wine And Tequila,” a song about bad love, represented through the metaphor of mixing your drinks, and the bad consequences that usually follow. As he harmonizes with Bob Livingston, Temple’s song is presented with a similar rhythmic and vocal style reminiscent of Jesse Bellamy, from the country duo Jesse and Noah Bellamy, who have also been burning up the Texas country charts. Later on the album, Temple teams up again with Livingston for the country twang, “I Just Can’t Quit Loving You,” a song whose title accurately suggests the theme of this ballad.
Temple however is much more than just good looks, a bedroll of cowboy tunes, and a guy playing clever licks on his acoustic guitar. The Texan is a great storyteller, who knows how to bring to life ballads such as the title track, “Two Thousand Miles.” Hopefully, most of the people reading this review can identify at least one time in their life, when they were young, in love, and full of dreams and expectations about what the future might hold. “Two Thousand Miles,” is a song about hope, about packing up all you own in a U-Haul truck, crossing the country in pursuit of something better, with only each other to hold onto. With conviction Owen Temple delivers the lines, “But we put fear away / After we pulled out / Cause there’s nothing we can’t do baby / No problem, no trials / Two lovers, two days / Two thousand miles.”
Lloyd Maines, a native Texan, who now makes Austin his home, plays six different kinds of guitars on this CD including, slide and bass, as well as the dobro and mandolin, however, Maines’ most significant contribution is in the role of producer. In the past, he has produced the Dixie Chicks and Terry Allen, and it looks like he has another winner with Owen Temple. Musically this is a well-balanced album, and Chris Burns did a wonderful job of recording and mixing it at Bixmeaux Studios in Austin.
The strong Texas connection is evident throughout the album Two Thousand Miles, and continues with San Marcos, Texas native Terri Hendrix (also produced by Maines), harmonizing on four of the tracks, “Two Thousand Miles,” “Like We Still Care,” Demolition Derby,” and “On The Lonesome Road.”
In addition to the contributions of Maines, David Grissom plays electric guitar, Glenn Fukunaga is the bassist, and Dave Sanger wields the drumsticks, as well as doubling up on percussion. Livingston once again lends his voice to, “Swear It Off Again,” and “Rivers Run From Many Waters.” Singer Gordy Quist provides vocal support for, “You Want To Wear That Ring,” “Can’t Drink Enough To Sing,” “You Don’t Have To Be Lonely,” and “The Pluto Blues.”
Owen Temple has taken Texas by storm, and now he is launching an all out assault on the rest of America, with his homespun songs about life, love and dreams. This is a splendid album and if you are one of those country music fans who like to say, ‘I had his CD before he became well known,’ then you will want to add this CD to your collection today.
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Reviewed February 2008
