I’m not sure if I was just worn out from the 4th of July or what, but I did not feel like myself for most of the day on the 5th. It took a rough workout and about a gallon of water to get me back to normal, but once I was there it felt like time for a new post. So I picked up a six pack that I’ve never tried and fielded some suggestions for a band to feature from my friends group chat. We landed on Cody Bryan Band partnered up with a six pack of Gulf Kölsch by Twisted X Brewing Co.
The Twisted X Brewery may just be the biggest building in Driftwood, TX, or at least it was last time I drove out that way. Where’s Driftwood you ask? It’s wedged between Dripping Springs and Wimberley, in the folds of the Texas Hill Country out west of Austin. Every beer I’ve ever tried from there has been solid and at least one has been particularly memorable thanks to a creative name. Visit their site and let me know if you can figure out which one I’m referring to. I’ve personally never stopped by to visit the tasting room, but my neighbor was telling me last night that It’s definitely worth a trip up north.
You can’t go wrong with a good Kölsch, which is one of my favorite styles, so I was excited to give this Gulf Kölsch a try. It poured a crystal clear gold with an inch or so of head that resembled fluffy white clouds after allowing it to sit for a second. So it’s a good looking beer, that came in a good looking can including the iconic gulf coast image of a red fish tail. Coming in at 5.1% I expected this brew to have more of an alcohol taste, but I didn’t pick up on it if there was one. This Kölsh is light, crisp, and has just a hint of earthiness to it. I was through several of these bad boys before I knew it, sitting on the patio at the end of a humid day.
What can I say about the Cody Bryan Band? Let’s start with this, if you’re only going to listen to a single one of their tracks it should be “Texas Highway”. This one is a little bit more mellow than your typical country “life on the road” type of track. The lyrics touch on every place you can imagine from the typical Dallas and Austin, all the way down to Fort Stockton and Mustang Island. When you grew up here, this is the type of song that can take your mind back to childhood vacations with parents and first time college road trips with friends.
References to the infamous elevated speed limits in West Texas, hill country grapevines, and panhandle turbines paint those drive by images that are burned in most of our minds. If there were a theme song on the Westbound Soul site (like on Myspace back in the day), this would probably be it.
“Texas Highway” comes off the band’s latest album, which was released earlier this year and titled “Here”. Interestingly enough, I found that the album features a twangy cover of the Blue October song “Home”. After a little research on their website I found that their album was produced by one of the guys from Blue October, so that helped me connect the dots. Aside from those two tracks this album is full of all the drinking songs, sad songs, and could-only-take-place-in-Texas songs that you’d expect from a burgeoning Texas country band.
Even though it didn’t make my top 3 below, I’ve got to give “Beautiful Stranger” some recognition as a song that keeps getting stuck in my head. This is a catchy track that’s got radio single written all over it in my opinion. The one thing these fellas could improve on is to get more fiddle in the mix. I guess if I’m doing honorable mention I’ve also got to add “Can’t be Him” to the list, as a track for anyone who’s ever been with someone that wasn’t over their ex. Overall this is a great album and these guys are just scratching the surface of their potential.
Favorite 3 Tracks:
Texas Highway
Stubborn
Home
The Cody Bryan Band is hard on the trail this summer and you’ll be able to catch them all over the state, as well as in Pennsylvania for a stop with the Eli Young Band. Make sure to check their tour dates to see when they’ll be playing near you. Get out there and support this new wave of great Texas country artists. Don’t forget to pick up their latest album on Itunes, Amazon, or on the CBB online merchandise store.
Questions or comments about “Here”, Cody Bryan Band, or Texas music in general? Social media will get you a damn-near immediate response, so contact us on twitter or instagram @westboundsoul or leave a comment below.
