Dusty Rust is a Honky Tonk performer from Kansas City, MO and he has just released his second album, Kansas City Cowboy. Dusty possesses a strong DIY work ethic which has helped him to self-produce two full-length studio albums in the last two years. Rust has played just over 100 shows in the year 2015 (and it’s not even over yet). Dusty started out with a residency at The Landmark Saloon in Portland, OR, but it wasn’t too long before it paid off with opportunities to open shows for acts such as Whitey Morgan and the 78’s, Luke bell, and The Calamity. Dusty Rust’s brand of sound is pure honky tonk, allowing him to compliment bills that include roots acts ranging from Bluegrass to Rockabilly. When he’s not singing originals, he’s covering Waylon Jennings and Hank Sr. and Jr., which is a perfect fit for the honky tonk singer. With the release of Kansas City Cowboy, Dusty and his honky tonk trio will be embarking on a 30 day tour covering 8 different states in the Pacific Northwest, and then a stint down to Texas.
The album opens with an ode to travelers and navigating life, “Airstream Trailer”. It’s an easy going tune, that rolls along as smooth as an airstream on the open highway. The two-stepping “City Cowboy’s Throne” is a true honky tonk heartbreaker, about love gone wrong. The narrator finds his lover cheating on him and spends the rest of the song nursing that broken heart with alcohol. This is an original take on an age old theme. The track is fresh and the lyrics are witty. It’s definitely one of the highlights on the album for me. The foot tapper “Countryside Ride” is a rolling honky tonk tune about what the title suggests, a countryside ride. The song is about getting away from all the craziness of the world, city streets, bad news, etc, and just going for a countryside drive. It explores escaping the world for a little while, which is exactly what it allows the listener to do.
“CPR” is the first song I’ve heard that references muscle relaxers, which makes it original and interesting to me. The song uses the clever hook, “I know you want to help me/ But stay right where you are/ Because darlin’ you’re the opposite of CPR”. The track finds the narrator trying everything under the sun, including alcohol and pills, to feel better after his love leaves him. The production on this song is reminiscent of Don Williams music (or at least it reminds me of Don Williams). “Down in the Dirt” is just a cool instrumental track. The production, especially in the beginning, is reminiscent of The Highwaymen’s The Highwayman. “Down in the Dirt” makes you feel like you’re in the desert, the Wild West. It’s just really cool.
“Happy Father’s Day” is a rollicking, rockabilly number featuring fast paced vocals, reminiscent of Johnny Cash’s “One Piece At A Time”. The honky tonking two-stepper, “If You’re Gonna Leave Me” is another heartbreak country song. The track features an upbeat melody, which offsets the sad lyrical content. The track features another story of being left by a lover, with the hook, “If you’re gonna leave me/ Take my broken heart.” But these heartbreak numbers are all done differently, in original, fresh ways.
The record closes with another version of “Airstream Trailer”, this time to the tune of a waltz. It’s an easy on the ears track, and a nice way to close out the album. Overall, Kansas City Cowboy is an excellent, pure honky tonk album. I would recommend this record to anyone looking for real, raw, honky tonk country. Definitely an enjoyable album!
Originally posted here.
