William Clark Green Has a Texas Country Album to Be Proud of With ‘Rose Queen’

William Clark Green has been pushing his music for years, running around the state of Texas and beyond, playing his songs for anyone who will listen. He has the great attitude and work ethic that's essential to surviving in the music business. Now, with the release of his new CD 'The Rose Queen', WCG has proven that he has the talent, too.

If you're looking for something other than a straight-forward Texas Country music CD, look elsewhere. This CD stays true to the genre. But 'The Rose Queen' is not a "copycat" album. WCG shows off plenty of his own personality and talent.

The title track to 'Rose Queen' opens the CD, and makes an early statement to the quality of the album. This tune reflects on young love that doesn't have a chance. She is the Rose Queen, and he's a hayseed. She goes off to college, and he never leaves town. Sad stuff. Green sings this song in a way that you can't help but sympathize with the poor guy.

'Dead Or In Jail' has a heavy, rootsy Americana feel, not unlike a Ryan Bingham or Chris Knight song. It features edgy guitar and banjo throughout that compliments the feel of the song nicely. Green changes things up a little vocally, too, with less melody and a more hardened delivery. 'Dead Or In Jail' is one of the tunes I point to that gives 'Rose Queen' an extra dimension of depth and shows off how much WCG has matured as an artist.

'It's About Time' has a good groove to it. This true Texas Country music song is great for regional radio, great for dancehalls and honky tonks.

The newest single from 'Rose Queen' is 'She Likes the Beatles', and it's a lot of fun. In a nutshell, this is a song that celebrates the saying "opposites attract". For a while, you wonder whether this is going to be a song about true love or breaking up, and that makes it even more fun to listen to. It also passes the 'sing-along test' with flying colors.

'Drowning' is a sad, slow song.This song features some of the deepest, darkest lyrics on the album. I put it down as one of the best songwriting efforts to date from William Clark Green.

Listen to my anger
And I'll listen to your lies
There's no point in depositions
Or half-hearted goodbyes
You can sweep the floor with everything
That's left inside my heart
As I stumble down a drunken path
Of depression and scars

There's a party every evening
And I wake up feeling stoned
And I come back for some reason
And I still end up alone
The difference in believing
Is a spark to a flame
I lit a match with lightning
Now I'm drowning in the rain

'Welcome to the Family' wraps up the CD with a soft acoustic story that introduces a family. This may be autobiographical, I'm not sure. The way Green sings this song makes me believe it's straight from his heart, mind and personal experience.

There are so many quality songs on 'Rose Queen'. William Clark Green is going to have a tough time deciding on which ones to release as singles, because they are all good enough to play on the radio.

There are some artists in the Texas music scene that I can't help but root for. Whether it's an overabundance of potential, work ethic, uniqueness or a great personality, I just want them to succeed. For all of these reasons, William Clark Green is one of the artists I have been rooting for since I met him. It is great to see WCG cashing in on his hard work and coming up with such a quality album. Kudos to Rachel Loy on producing a CD that allows the songs to speak for themselves, and making this a record that everyone who performed on it can be proud of.

William Clark Green - 'Rose Queen' Track List:

1. 'Rose Queen' (William Clark Green, Kenneth O'Meara)
2. 'Remedy' (Green, Brandon Adams)
3. 'Dead or in Jail' (Green)
4. 'It's About Time' (Green)
5. 'She Likes the Beatles' (Green, Brian Keane)
6. 'Drowning' (Green)
7. 'Hangin' Around' (Green, Kent Finlay)
8. 'Let's Go' (Green)
9. 'Take Me Away' (Green)
10. 'What it Takes to Be Me' (Green)
11. 'Welcome to the Family' (Green)