Turnpike Troubadours “Goodbye Normal Street” CD Review [VIDEO]

Since the release of their album, "Diamonds & Gasoline" early in 2011, The Turnpike Troubadours have been steadily expanding the business. Lead singer/songwriter Evan Felker and the rest of the band are playing more shows in more places all the time, including several recent appearances in Abilene. With the release of their latest CD "Goodbye Normal Street", expect more growth from this unique group of guys.

The Troubadours show off a lot of musical talent on "Goodbye Normal Street". Just as important, there's a lot of depth, too. This CD is clearly country-influenced, particularly on the song "Wrecked". But it's easy to catch a modernized bluegrass sound on tracks like "Gin Smoke & Lies" and "Before The Devil Knows We're Dead". "Good Lord Lorrie" leans more toward blues, "Empty As A Drum" smacks of a late 60's folk tune, and several songs in the CD have a rock feel to them. When it all comes together, "Goodbye Normal Street" has a uniqueness that not a whole lot of bands even attempt.

The Turnpike Troubadours are a breath of fresh air in a music scene dominated by formulated Ragweed/Pat Green/Kevin Fowler influenced artists. Felker and bassist RC Edwards account for all of the songwriting on the CD, and the song lyrics are matched nicely with the music, and gives "Goodbye Normal Street" an organic sound that I'm sure the Troubadours are very pleased with.

If you haven't committed this band's name to memory, you should soon. I can see the Turnpike Troubadours as one of those bands that gets invited to play just about every festival in Texas over the next few years. Meanwhile, catch them at any of the growing number of bars, clubs, and honkytonks that welcome these guys in with open arms.