Having blasted onto the scene with two excellent releases back in 2017 (South Texas Suite and Rule 62), accompanied by some terrific live shows on this side of the pond, Whitney Rose returns to the fray with an album which is much more nuanced than either of its forebears. We Still Go To Rodeos roams much further from the tough Austin country and southern soul one might have expected to hear with several of the songs having much more rock edge to them, a possible result of Rose having taken to a quote from Marty Stuart calling Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers the best country band of all time. To this end Rose has gathered some crack players including Gurf Morlix on guitar and Lisa Pankrat on drums and roped in Paul Kolderie (of Uncle Tupelo and The Pixies fame) as producer. Together they have produced an album which, given the right breaks, would certainly widen Rose’s audience while still satisfying her core fans.
The album opens with a triumphant chord on slide guitar as Rose sashays into Just Circumstance, a grim telling of a teenager never given a chance but uplifted as the band play with some gusto and great country rock licks. Home With You is another glorious country rock offering with some southern sultriness somewhat akin to Dusty Springfield added to its mesmerising mix and this is maintained on Believe Me, Angela which flows wonderfully with a delicious pedal steel solo as Rose sings of a Jolene like character adapting to being the ex and offering advice to her usurper.
Things get hairier as the guitars grind up for the slam bam rock’n’roll assault of In A Rut, a full tilt pell mell run through with Rose in full control throughout, well able to shout out the chorus. I’d Rather Be Alone is another rocker which is as sinewy as a Springsteen number while Rose sings it as if she were once in The Bangles while Better Man recalls the post punk country of bands such as The Long Ryders. Sliding back into southern slinkiness, Rose and the band get funky on Blame Me For The Rain, a very fine Bobbie Gentry like wallow and then on Thanks For Trying, an expansive thrash which sounds as if Rose had resurrected the Stray Gators, she ties together her new found Pettyness and her country roots quite wonderfully.
In the midst of all this there’s space for the winsome A Hundred Shades Of Blue with its delicate pattern of acoustic guitars and slight border style along with the delightful acoustic skip of Don’t Give Up On Me. The title song closes the album in a somewhat offbeat style as Rose gets all domestic and romantic with Bruce Channel like harmonica, pit pattering drums and swooning guitar. It’s a torch song of sorts but not louché, more satisfied.