ALBUM REVIEW: ‘Little Pieces’ Walks in Cidny Bullens’ Shoes

Cidny Bullens has had a storied career, from songs on the famed Grease soundtrack to two Grammy awards to his tenure in the bands of Elton John and Rod Stewart. He’s also blazed trails as a transgender man in roots music. While much of this history is detailed in his autobiography, TransElectric: My Life as a Cosmic Rock Star, his new album, Little Pieces, his first for the Kill Rock Stars label, has its own share of autobiographical content.

If Little Pieces has anything resembling a mission statement, it comes in the form of “Walkin’ Through This World.” A spoken-word piece, Bullens defiantly brushes away his critics with a confident “You know I’ve done a great workaround all my life / what you see is what you get.” The song features a backing chorus that includes Mary Gauthier, Bill Lloyd, and Beth Nielsen Chapman.

Chapman features more prominently on “Not With You.” It’s a love song inspired by Bullens’ recent marriage. Bullens and Chapman trade verses comfortably before coming together for the chorus of “It’s such a crazy thing to do / but not with you.” The song evokes the ’80s collaborations between Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Chapman also shows up on the chorus of the album’s title track, a power pop offering that kicks off the record with a shot of energy.

Another love song, this one familial, is the acoustic ballad “Healing the Break,” featuring backing vocals from Bullens’ daughter Reid. It’s a song of pain and eventual redemption, sung over a single acoustic guitar. “A part of me is broken,” Bullens sings before the pair join voices to assure “Worries fade away.”

Less happy is “The Gender Line.” Here, Bullens details the trials he and others faced in their decision to transition. “Are you a boy or are you a girl / it’s an easy answer in a binary world,” he laments before listing various modes of transportation that “can’t take me over the gender line.” Not everyone in the song is successful in crossing that line; the second verse details a friend who took his own life rather than live a lie. It’s stark in its reality and, in an environment where transgender individuals are increasingly marginalized for political gain, should help drive home how heartbreaking the decision can be. Rodney Crowell lends a hand for this one.

A good album can give you a peek into the lives of those whose experiences are different than your own. While most of us will never truly know the journey taken by those who transition, Little Pieces will help those willing to listen understand the pain and joy that goes into it. From the plea against dead naming on “Call Me By My Name” to the celebratory rocker “Alive and Kicking,” Bullens has delivered a record that contains not only a message but also some quality rock and roll.

Cidny Bullens’ Little Pieces is out Oct. 27 on Kill Rock Stars.