Those who were introduced to the teenage David Ball through his boyish tenor with Uncle Walt’s Band, and those who discovered him a couple of decades later through the honky-tonk twang of “Thinkin’ Problem”, could be forgiven for thinking they were hearing entirely different singers. It was as if the junior partner in Uncle Walt’s Band had somehow recast himself from a McCartney’s songbird into a George Jones honky-tonker. Where was the common denominator?
Amigo provides it. While Ball’s progression has taken him from his native South Carolina to Austin and then Nashville, this collection’s celebration of the Texas dancehall tradition ties the various strains of his musical personality together. The breezy swing of the opening title song evokes both Uncle Walt and Bob Wills — while channeling the conversational phrasing of Willie Nelson as well — and the rest of the collection provides a map (as the CD cover suggests) through the roadhouse styles that continue to flourish in the Lone Star state beyond the reach of country radio.
The production by Wood Newton, Ball’s writing partner in recent years, brings out the singer’s effortless best, in a selection that is as unified in spirit as it is eclectic in style. Highlights range from Newton’s “Riding With Private Malone”, a folkish narrative with a supernatural twist, to the cantina balladry of “She Always Talked About Mexico”, to “Loser Friendly”, cut from the same cloth as “Thinkin’ Problem”, to “Just Out Of Reach”, a standard so durable it has been covered by both Percy Sledge and Perry Como.
Where it was once easier to dismiss Ball as a hat-act novelty or a magpie dilettante, Amigo displays a richly confident artistry that hits deep in the heart of Texas.