“With each of these songs I was hoping to create a little world that I could crawl into. Those are the kinds of songs I really love and obsess over.”
Chuck Westmoreland has announced the release of his sophomore LP Long Winter Rodeo, a collection of country-tinged character sketches displaying a songwriting prowess that recalls the introspective storytelling of Taylor Goldsmith and the brutal honesty of John Moreland.
With plenty of ebb and flow between sparse acoustic instrumentation and driving electric guitars, there is a majestic grandeur permeating Long Winter Rodeo which is led by a strong songwriting foundation, especially on tracks such as the album’s searing bookend, “Slaughtered.” “I’m ready to go,” Westmoreland sings, “and I’m ready for salvation.” Armed with only a guitar, his voice cuts to the bone, conjuring a romantic tale inspired by his grandparents, who lived on the Texas-Louisiana state line. It’s a story about a hired hand working the land for an older couple, whose daughter happens to be away at college. He’s 19, young and rugged. Not only does he grow fond of his employers but of the many photos of their daughter along the walls. “It’s in a very genuine way,” Westmoreland clarifies. “He doesn’t meet her for years. Time goes by, and her parents get sick. She finally comes back for her dad’s funeral, and he ends up holding her hand and being with her in her time of mourning.”