Music of the West
By Hugh McLennan
Jun-Jul 2008
 Brett Kissel
My Roots Run Deep
Seems like each time I review a Brett Kissel CD he’s a year older. He’s 17 now and his latest CD is my favourite. The song selection is closest to the content I’m looking for on The Spirit of the West. Brett has included several of the most meaningful contemporary western songs along with some powerful original compositions. In the future we may look back on the songwriting combination of Steve Fox and Brett Kissel as real trailblazers.
There’s some power in songs like Black Eyed Susans, Calving Time and Northern Man. These are well-crafted pieces with all the elements: melody, a good hook, the right tempo and the right arrangements.
The success of Dance with This Ol’ Cowboy, a duet with Gary Fjellgaard no doubt inspired Brett to bring in high-quality stars like Eli Barsi for Chime Bells, Tim Hus for Bucking Horse Rider and Gary joining him again on his wonderful song Heroes. Another song of Gary’s that’s among my all-time favourites, The Falcon and the Cowboy is here as well.
On Chime Bells, the harmony yodeling is truly amazing and the note Brett hits at the end is high enough to shatter the glass in your pickup window.
There’s a lot of production on most of the tracks. Using an “old time radio” effect on the first verse of Wilf Carter’s Love Knot in my Lariat might be a good idea.
As usual, there’s an instrumental track here, a great guitar duet with Clint Pelletier joining Brett for a medley of Under the Double Eagle and Whiskey Before Breakfast and the kid’s picking is getting better and better.
Order this one from canadiancowboy.ca.
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