Bobby Duncan: Maybe This Time
Photo by D. Anson Brody
The first studio album in a decade from Texas singer-songwriter Bobby Duncan turns out to be worth the wait. Maybe This Time takes us on a journey through thoughtful, meaningful songs that have mirrored Duncan’s own journey in the last decade. Since Forever from Here was released in 2012, Duncan has gotten married, become a father to twins followed closely by another child, moved across the country and back. I asked Duncan why he waited so long and he said he’s really been working on the album this whole time. Duncan said it’s his most personal album to date; “it definitely pulls back the curtain more than in previous albums.”
The opening track “Close Enough to Break Your Heart” hits with a punch musically and almost feels like a continuation of “Forever from Here,” the title track from his last album. In “Forever from Here,” he sings about seeing a future with his girlfriend, and “…Break Your Heart” talks about their brief break up. It was a turning point for him and he captures it: “What if we slow down / long enough to take in this town / the only one we ever felt to call our own.” He is asking her if it’s worth re-thinking the break up. It’s also a bit of foreshadowing for another track on the album.
“Love All Along,” the second track, is the perfect follow up. (Spoiler alert: they got back together). Written during their engagement, a lot of the lyrics in the song have come true. I found myself smiling at “will you still want me, in ten years time, with two kids about the same age…,” knowing the lyrics were written well before they had three kids in three years. “Will you still want me / when I don’t look the same / when the boy you married / survives in a picture frame,” he sings. This is an example of why I fell in love with Duncan’s songwriting from the first time I heard him. He finds new and poignant ways to express common experiences or feelings; like, will your partner look at you the same way as you age.
In “Down on the Avenue,” Duncan writes a love letter to his neighborhood. “This place is made of dreamers and well-to-dos,” describes the eclectic area perfectly. When I asked Duncan his favorite track on the album, he hesitated to pick one, but said that “Down on the Avenue” was one he found particularly satisfying, coming together better than expected. You can’t help but feel you are strolling with him.
“I’ve chased the bottle just to see where it leads / Stared at my reflection searching for a better part of me,” he sings in the title track. “Maybe this Time” is a song about that moment most of us have experienced - that moment where hope springs eternal for the best is yet to come.
“Enough” is my favorite track on the album, and the one Duncan says is the most personal. It’s about striving to be “enough” as a husband, a son and a father. In talking about his own father, “that same boy, he had me, and a chance to re-write his own misery,” his father broke the cycle of alcoholism to be a better father than he had.
All but two of the songs on the album are co-writes with Duncan’s longtime collaborator Donovon Dodd. His influence is most apparent in “Something to Lose.” Dodd, too, has recently become a husband and father. My favorite line of the album “thought I would change, when the baby came, but I doubled down on whiskey, a losing hand in any game.” The song is about a shift from living like you have something to prove because you have something in your life worth keeping.
While not the most personal of the album, “Everything Just Might Be Alright” comes full circle. Duncan and Dodd co-wrote the song with Walt Wilkins. A staple in the Texas songwriter scene, Wilkins has been a heavy influence on Duncan and even produced his first album. I dare you not to smile listening to the song.
For those who are familiar with Duncan, you won’t be surprised that a Bruce Springsteen cover is included on the album. “If I Should Fall Behind” is a nice fit for the album, and Duncan makes it his own.
“Learn to Love Again” takes on a familiar topic with punchy lyrics. Fort Worth musician Johnny Cooper sings beautiful background vocals throughout the album, but is a stand out on this song.
“Sometimes” has been in the back pocket for a while, so it doesn’t fit as linearly as the remainder of the album, but it wraps up the album perfectly. In an album driven by lyrics, Duncan’s vocals are a stand out on this track.
As a longtime fan of Bobby Duncan, I have been waiting on this album for a while. After listening, it’s apparent he was waiting for the right time. The lyrics are very intentional and make a beautiful album. Give it a listen on April 1 on all listening platforms. You can also listen to Duncan and Dodd break down the album on the latest episodes of their podcast The Co-Write.
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