As the demand has grown for creative, independent country acts, Flatland Cavalry has established itself as one of the best. They raced onto the scene back in 2016 with their debut album Humble Folks. As the title implied, it was an earnest collection of Texas country music that didn’t feel as inaccessible or overly serious as some of their predecessors. Flatland has always had a light, youthful spirit to pair with Cleto Cordero’s witty songwriting. Seven years later, the band has built a reputation for consistency and a much broader audience looking forward to their records in every album cycle.
This past Halloweekend proved it wasn’t all scary as the band released their fourth studio album, Wandering Star. The LP was far and away their most anticipated to date with the rapid growth of their fanbase since their major-label debut Welcome to Countryland. With expectations high, Flatland Cavalry did what they do best: they stayed true to themselves and held onto their shining motto: “easy on the ears, heavy on the heart.” While none of these songs spelled any significant departure from the band’s signature twang, the band manages to sprinkle in some very subtle and organic changes compared to what we’ve heard in the past. There are hints of blues and soul on cuts like “Only Thing At All” and “Let It Roll,” and old school honky-tonking on the album’s opening “The Provider.”
Gratefully though, in classic Flatland fashion, they continue keeping things simple. Flatland Cavalry thrives by relying on the talents of their band, from Reid Dillon’s effortless picking to Cleto’s knack for poetry put to song. The album is produced by Dwight A. Baker (Josh Abbott Band), and he does a really good job of not straying too far away from what makes the band great. Previous albums produced by Jake Gear and Scott Faris made a point of allowing frontman Cleto Cordero’s writing to stand out against fairly restrained production. Baker takes that same approach, but there is also a little bit more blues and soft rock mixed in. For a band known for their light-hearted twang, especially following their sunniest record to date, some fans may be thrown for a loop by many of Wandering Star‘s deep cuts. That said, these songs are still undeniably excellent.
One of the record’s sleepier moments comes in the form of the band’s latest duet with Cleto’s wife Kaitlin Butts “Mornings With You;” though the two midwestern singer-songwriters’ romantic chemistry is always self-evident, and their voices sound great together, this song just doesn’t sound like a hit; the production holds this song back a lot with a slow, plodding feel and not enough instrumental flourishes to keep it from feeling outright boring. Cleto and Kaitlin have had some great love songs together, but this one didn’t quite land.
With that said, this is a very good album, and just about every song has that sincere Flatland charm you hope for. Still, there isn’t necessarily an “it” factor here to any of these tracks. In its first week in the world, there’s no obvious “moment” song like “Sleeping Alone” or “A Life Where Work Out” that fans should expect to remember as an all-time Flatland classic. Every one of these songs is quality, but the record is generally a bit light on major standouts.
It’s been more than two years since the last time Flatland Cavalry released a full-length studio album, and overall, Wandering Star was worth the wait. Simple production and incisive, well-thought-out messages about living and finding happiness proved exactly why the Texas six-piece is one of the best in the game today. Though the group parted ways with Jake Gear who produced Welcome To Countryland, that album’s richness and clean mixes are hardly missing. This may not be a “next-level” piece of work for the band, but on their fourth album, Flatland Cavalry keep the faith with their fans that no matter how much their popularity grows, loyal listeners can always expect a resilient standard of Texas country excellence.
8.0/10
