Will Jackson
Songs From the Briarpatch
(Will Jackson)

An upbeat acoustic guitar and the snapping snare of “Looks Like Today” begins Will Jackson’s Songs From the Briarpatch. With just the right hint of a jaunty organ and sweet solid harmonies, one realizes they are in the hands of a solid singer/songwriter from this opening.

We get an excellent lyric on what could have been the usual tread about loss and memory, on “Polaroid Parade.” The fiddle marks the chills-up-your-back, but Jackson’s superb wordplay and the simple production mainly make this a killer track.

I love how we get into some solid rockin’ with loud guitars and wailing organ on “Gonna Get Me Killed.” This unexpected mover is a truly welcomed respite after the acoustics, piano, and fiddle (not that there’s anything wrong with any of that), a neat tune about lusting after a dangerous woman. Jackson keeps up the rockin’ on the clever “Won’t See Me In Heaven,” a tune about where he is or is not over the question of faith.

Things slow down with some waver-y guitar and chunky snare on the laid-back “Walking On Fire.” What slowly comes through across all of Songs From the Briarpatch, and especially on this tune, is how Jackson is questioning where he is exactly right now in his life.

The cool stuttering snare beat on “Caroline Calls” pushes along a countryfied commercial rocker for the last tune. There’s a lot of just fun jamming here from piano, horns, and guitar, marking a joyous end to what I feel is a very good album.