Clay McClinton - Bitin' at the Bit (2014)

Tracklist

01. Wildflowers
02. Stories We Can Tell
03. Beer Joint
04. Sound of a Small Town
05. Nobody Knows My Baby
06. Victim of Life's Circumstances
07. Just Dropped In
08. Hydrated
09. Poison Love
10. A Woman That Can't Be Explained
11. What a Little Love Can Do
12. Bound for Glory

The CD was reproduced by esteemed producer-songwriter Gary Nicholson who also co-wrote most of the material with McClinton. The exceptions are his father's Victim of Life’s Circumstances in which Delbert shares vocals, the oldie Just Dropped In - to See What Condition My Condition was In, and the bluegrass tune Poison Love. The backing band is worth the price of the CD in itself. McClinton and\or Nicholson have some friends as they acquired the services of guitarists Kenny Vaughan, Dan Dugmore and Colin Linden; percussionists Lynn Williams and Tom Hambridge; and bassist Steve Mackay — along with members of Clay’s touring band Jon Sanchez on guitar and Ed Friedland on bass. Then there's the role played by Joel Guzman on the accordion and organ - adding that Tex-Mex flavor to many of the songs.
The first two tracks Wildflowers and Stories We Can Tell are two upbeat, catchy songs that seem to be tributes to his native Texas and to life as a traveling musician. The next two tracks Beer Joint and Sound of a Small Town reflect simpler times with the former finding a partner in the cleverly written Hydrated: "I'm no nutritionist, but there's corn in alcohol and plenty of water in beer". You may recognize What a Little Bit of Love Can Do which was featured in the film, “Crazy Heart" and sung by Jeff Bridges. And don't miss the last track, Bound For Glory - which McClinton delivers in a powerful and soulful manner. This may be my favorite track - particularly with Guzman's contributions.

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