Dallas Moore Showcases Strong Lyrics Alongside Raucous Country Sounds on ‘The Rain’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

At a time when it seems like every other indie artist in America has cloaked themselves in a faded denim, pearl button shirt and headed down to Nashville to make it as an Americana singer, there is an authenticity to the music of Dallas Moore. Across more than half a dozen albums spanning decades, Moore has never wandered too far from his heroes Waylon, Willie and David Allan Coe. And those influences can still be heard on his latest The Rain.

Clocking in at more than 300 shows every year for the past decade, Moore hardly had time to work on new music since leaving the studio with 2019’s Tryin’ To Be A Blessing. But a funny thing happened as he and his band were looking over that long tour itinerary: a global pandemic that would shut the world down for the entire year. Suddenly at home for the first time in ages, Moore had plenty of time to mow his grass, ride his Harley and write music – a lot of music. In a three-week span, Moore had penned his entire album. And along with those familiar Outlaw Country legends, the pandemic proved to be just as strong an influence. You can hear it on the Quarantine-inspired single, “Locked Down and Loaded.” And don’t let the long beard, graveled voice fool you – it’s not a call to arms, rather a call to grab your glass, pour some whiskey and just take it all in. “It is what it is, but it’s not what it seems so, I’m sorting it out with my old friend Jim Beam,” sings Moore on the single he put out last summer.

Elsewhere, he sings about those in tin foil hats and others worrying about the world ending, while he’s content to handle whatever happens alongside a family, he’s proud of, on Better Days. Even a song like “Every Night I Burn Another Hony Tonk Down” seems to be more longing for the time when the world gets back to normal.

The album ends with the slow tempo “In My Last Days,” a sweet heartfelt ballad, but a song that lacks the punch and energy that defines the bulk of the album. While the record is not a huge departure from his earlier efforts, The Rain serves as a natural evolution to Moore’s career, showcasing some of his strongest lyrics yet, a hallmark of his musical idols.