Phosphorescent: To Willie (2009)

New Wax


If I could redo my best of 2007 list, I'd have Phosphorescent's Pride firmly slated in the top three. The LP is a subtle work of genius and has grown to become one of my go-to albums. It also prompted me to gobble up Matthew Houck's entire back catalog. Luckily for fans, Houck and company are back with new material entitled To Willie, which consists entirely of Willie Nelson covers. They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery and one of Nelson's most memorable releases, entitled To Lefty From Willie, was in itself a tribute consisting of songs by Lefty Frizzell. Now Nelson gets the same treatment, with similar album cover font and all. On the album's 11 tracks, Houck sifts through less obvious tracks from Nelson's catalog. The best cover songs are historically the ones in which an artist puts his own stamp on the material and Houck exhibits his owned hushed style throughout To Willie. "Reasons To Quit," a song written by Merle Haggard and performed by Nelson, kicks off the album nicely. Houck's woozy delivery fits the subject matter and his backing band provides a laid-back lounge-band aesthetic. All in all, To Willie has plenty to offer both fans of Phosphorescent and fans of Willie Nelson. My dad, who made me listen to my share of Willie Nelson as a kid, said "This is good" when I was playing To Willie the other day. If that's not a glowing endorsement, I don't know what is. -- Capt. Obvious

Listen:
MP3: Phosphorescent - Reasons To Quit

Tags: Phosphorescent, To Willie, Review