Michael Ethan Messick's The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday begins with a loopy sounding intro, but once he opens his mouth to deliver the first line, you know this is a country album. Sounding something like a cross between John Mellencamp and Dan Baird of the Georgia Satellites, Messick lets his nasal Texas drawl ease out the words while slide guitars and acoustics lead the way.
Early standout "Walking Into Walls," is a bass-driven ballad that subtly describes the life of a man broken by life and love. Michael's voice drips with sorrow over lonely backing vocals that sound like they could be ghosts echoing down a photo-bare hallway.
"Must Be Time" follows up with a rail-chugging rocker backed by Mike Junger and The Trishas. It's an invigorating track with a gospel feel and a sweet harmonica threaded through.
The final cut, "Nickel," drenched in reverb and smoke, sounds something like John Cougar in a moment of relaxed inhibitions. It's full of whiskey and fire, taking the listener to some backwoods Texas dive for a sweaty dirty dance with the cowgirl he's taking home.
If there's one slight drawback to the album, it's Messick's enunciation at times. Sometimes his diction comes off a bit murky due to his drawl - leaving the listener at a loss for what was just sung. It's not a huge concern, but does make a few of the lyrics a bit difficult to discern.
Overall, The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday stands out from the Texas herd of red dirt music. It's an emotional and thoughtful piece of work that shows as much potential as it does realization.
RIYL: Steve Earle, Chris Knight, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
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