East Texas native Cole Allen isn’t what you’d typically picture when you imagine a root’s musician. He has no top hat, wears no conchos, has no tatted sleeve, and I’ve never spotted him in any vintage pearl snaps. In fact, if one was to conjure up a visual for Cole, Dick Van Dyke’s portrayal of Bert and his one-man-band in the original Mary Poppins isn’t too far from the mark. Most of Cole’s live gigs involve just himself with what appears to be fifteen instruments strapped to his various appendages (though he claims to employ just a harmonica, guitar, and a Farmer Foot drum kit). His folksy solo approach was born of necessity according to Cole’s own bio, as early in his career he worked by day as a civil-engineer and spent his weekends traveling the circuit as a competitive bull rider, leaving little time to form a proper band. I first caught Cole live five or six years ago in Lindale, Texas. His introduction of himself, at that time, as an everyday, normal, working man lucky enough to get to perform some music by night was both unassuming and endearing, if not a tad overly modest.

Over the years, Cole has continued to hone his craft and has matured in the style of past Texas songwriting heroes. A noticeable shift occurred in his songwriting a couple years ago after the tragedy of the unexpected death of his father inspired perhaps my favorite tune of his, “Old Oak Tree.” The tune is perhaps the standout track from his latest release and third album, Dry County Culture, and is a wonderful marriage of plainspoken lyrics and production that doesn’t try too hard. The album, produced by longtime friend Darrell Edwards, parts company with Cole’s two previous albums, in that it relies less on fictional narrative and more on Allen’s personal experiences. While “Old Oak Tree” stands out in Catharism and relatable loss to all of us missing cool, crisp fall mornings in the woods with a loved one who is no longer here, several other tracks bare a genuine and true reflection of everyday sentiments universally relative such as “Never Been More Beautiful,” a love song for his wife, “The Stinky Kid,” a plea for societal empathy, and “She Loves the Dallas Cowboys” and “A Song in Third Person” as witty, and humorous glances into recurring themes in Allen’s daily routines. Sonically, the album utilizes acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmonica, upright bass, and light drums on most of the tracks. Electric guitar, piano, organ, and pedal steel are featured in a few songs as well.

I was able to catch up with Cole just prior to Dry County Culture’s recent release, and in light of what might be deemed the evolution of technique and style prominent on the album, asked what his vision was for the direction of his music in the future. His response was stereotypically witty and thoughtful much like Cole himself. "I think for this record the goal was for more of myself to come through personally. On my earlier releases I focused more on fictional narrative than personal experience. That’s what McMurtry does and Adam Carroll to an extent, and I was doing something similar. For this release, I thought more about purpose and providing my own insight to the culture around me. Also, my kids are getting older and it started getting weird trying to explain the murder ballads. As far as long term goals go, I know my place as a cheeseburger singer at the moment. It’s just the stage of life I’m in. One day when the kids are off to college, I hope to have enough of an arsenal of good songs that I can go play more regional shows and try to get my music out there." On a deeper level, Cole says his goal is to continue to search and strive for the “power of a song.”

Suffice to say that based on this latest release, Allen is on his way there. His authentic and unassuming efforts towards making music in an industry ripe with overly idealized personas and egos is a welcomed and applauded approach that I hope eventually pays dividends for Cole and his fans/listeners alike. Dry County Culture was released into the wild Friday, June 2nd, and is available for streaming on most platforms.

For touring dates, merchandise, or to book Cole Allen, visit the artist’s website at https://www.coleallenmusic.com.

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