Charley Crockett Lesson In Depression

James "Slim" Hand certainly isn't a household name, but in certain circles (especially in his home state of Texas), he's revered as one of the greats. Hand passed away unexpectedly last year, and his friend Charley Crockett pays tribute to him with a take on Hand's "Lesson in Depression." Crockett's version juxtaposes the song's wry, self-deprecating lyrics with a breezy, soulful, Stax-indebted shuffle. The song is out now via Son of Davy/Thirty Tigers.
 
"I'd heard about James for years before I finally got to see him sing," says Crockett. "Willie Nelson called him 'The Real Deal' and I'm telling you right now it's a fact that there wasn't a more authentic character in country music during James' lifetime."
 
"Lesson in Depression" provides a great example of Crockett's self-proclaimed "Gulf & Western" sound, where he synthesizes country, blues, soul, Cajun, Western Swing, R&B and other pieces of American roots music into an unmatched, truly singular sound. Even when he's taking on other artists songs, much like fellow Texan Willie Nelson, Crockett has an uncanny ability to craft versions that sound not only as though he wrote them himself, but that sound as though they belong to him.
 
Crockett's already released new music this year, with his cover of Billy Swan's 1974 hit "I Can Help" rocketing up the Americana and Triple A radio charts and receiving key playlist adds at Spotify, Apple Music and others. Rolling Stone says Crockett's take "captures a man and his band in soulful form."