The Honky Tonk Kid Comes Through Again With Angels & Outlaws
Friday, May 30th, 2008 
Aaron Watson is the definition of country singer. He and his band, The Orphans of the Brazos Band, bring the traditional honky tonk sound along with catchy lyrics, but at the same time combines a mainstream radio sound - even if mainstream radio won’t play his music. His latest album release, Angles & Outlaws, was again produced by good friend Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel. Watson wrote or co-wrote eleven of the fifteen tracks on the album.
The album cranks of with an excellent song called Tulsa. Tulsa is a love song about an old lover who is being treated poorly by her current lover. In the song, the singer threatens the current man in her life not to let the sun set on him in Tulsa or he’ll be going down too. Continuing with the ex-lover them, Whiskey On The Fire is a song about drinking away a past lover. Clever lyric “you can’t put out an old flame by pouring whiskey on the fire” is an excellent parallel to how drinking makes the pain worse. Wake Up And Smell The Coffee is a fiddled laced song about not giving up because of a fight. The message being that lovers can argue and fight, but still be the one for each other, and don’t lose sight of that. Hence, wake up and smell the coffee. Heart Of Life is a good song, but I’m not sure it was meant to be country. I don’t think this is what John Mayer had in mind when he wrote this song. I would probably like this better if I had never heard the original version because it’s really not that bad. It’s just how I’m used to hearing the song.
Love Makin’ Song is cute litte love song. Personally, I think this should be the next radio release. This song just has the “it” factor and Watson nails it. Very good stuff. Breaker Breaker One Nine is a humorous love song co-written by Jerry Reed. Yes, that Jerry Reed, and you can definitely hear the Reed influence in this song. Can’t Be A Cowboy Forever is a song about a Cowboy in love with being a Cowboy, similar to George Strait’s Cheyenne. Rollercoaster Ride sings about the ups and downs of love using a rollercoaster ride as the paradoy. Hearts Are Breaking Across Texas was the first release from the album and currently rides in the top 10 on the Texas Music Charts. Watson wrote this song about his wife and it’s a beautiful song. Every man should feel this way about his wife. Unfortunately, the numbers show that Waston is in the minority.
The titel track, Angels And Outlaws, has a nice rhythm to it. I particularly like the line “God bless angels and pray for outlaws.” The hope is they can come together if God blesses her and prays for him. I love Sweet Contradiction. It is so well written. The opening line “she’s as pure as a Sunday morning. Just as fun as a Saturday night” is a perfect lead into this song. Dancin’ Shoes is my least favorite song on the album. It’s not bad, just not the greatness of Aaron Watson. Phillipians reading by legend Billy Jo Shaver. I’m not sure where it really fits in, but it kind of leads into the spiritual tear jerking love song Barbed Wire Halo. The album’s closer is the fun, kick ass, That’s What I Like About A Country Song, where Watson is joined by fellow Texan greats Jack Ingram, Kevin Fowler, Roger Creager, and Ray Benson.
Watson gives a solid performance on this album and it should gain him more fans. He’s done really well considering mainstream radio doesn’t play his music. If there is a negative to this album, it would be that it doesn’t have enough Saturday night, and maybe a little too much Sunday morning, but at least Watson’s heart is in the right place. One can sure not find fault in that. Overall, I enjoyed this album and when the only fault you can find in a man’s work is his faith, then I’d say he’s doing something right.
