Scott Dean is the quintessential modern Texas artist. Snuggled in a bed of twangy, guitar-led honky-tonk music, he sings in a capable but raw, everyman voice about drinking, bars, love, heartbreak and working hard. Add into that plenty of references to areas in Texas (particularly on the rowdy ‘1234’), and you have a winner for checking every Lone Star box. Whether it be the partial title track and opener ‘Hungover All Over Again’, ‘Sunday Funday’, ‘Honky Tonk Girl’, or ‘When I Drink’, much of this record is set in a Texas bar, surrounded by beer, whiskey and shots, and not forgetting plenty of beautiful girls. At times they are seen as throwaway conquests, but the genre he’s working within and the fact that it’s balanced with adoring love songs (such as the heartbreakingly lonesome ‘In My Arms) just saves him from criticism.
On ‘All Over Again’, Scott seems to want to represent the majority of Texas men. It’s true that this is a pretty masculine record; much of the narratives encourage their listeners to go out, get drunk, have a ball, because after all, they’re young! Aimed at a country youth disenfranchised with modern urban life and yearning to break free of the confines of their existence, songs like the rebellious ‘Down To Galveston’ speak to the exasperation and boredom of such a generation. Yet through these tales clearly dated in their 20s there is another array of songs looking at those into their 30s, loved up (such as in ‘Honky Tonk Girl’) or beginning to achieve some perspective on a manipulative relationship (‘Note Upon The Counter’).
For the most part, however, Scott is your average guy, getting along with life through its trials and tribulations and drinking because there’s not a lot else to do. At times it would be nice to see another layer of understanding and observation within these narratives, but the tongue-in-cheek ‘When I Drink’ does at least go some way to admitting this kind of lifestyle is not as perfect as it seems. Still, for those who like classic country (you can hear the likes of George Strait, Willie Nelson, George Jones, and Merle Haggard in here), updated into the 21st century with a Texas root, and for those who just like to get rowdy, this is a solid album.
So it’s this that makes the final track on the album so strange in comparison. A cover of the Christmas standard ‘We Three Kings’, Scott dips into fast-paced bluegrass, complete with extended instrumentals and duet vocals from Aubrey Lynn England (whose backing vocals are also featured on ‘In My Arms’. It’s a fabulous interpretation of the song and is very well-executed, but stands alone from the rest of the record, sticking out like a sore thumb. I’m not sure why Scott decided to record this and stick it on, but I guess why not, right? It’s a great version.
The Texas music scene is a vibrant and busy one, but Scott clearly has a good future ahead of him. As he grows, so will his music, but hopefully he’ll still retain that sense of fun that emanates from these songs. Until then, he’ll probably be ‘Hungover All Over Again’!
