Has it really been 15 years since Tim Easton dropped his twang-infested solo debut, Special 20? The prolific singer/songwriter seems like one of those guys who was obsessed with On the Road as a kid, wanderlust and the artist’s lifestyle forever fueling his restless imagination.
Easton’s released a slew of Americana-flavored records since parting ways with Haynes Boys in the late ’90s, each time touring across America and Europe, playing for the type of small but mostly appreciative crowds that might discourage lesser men. After years of nonstop touring (he’s even trekked to Alaska on multiple occasions), the Ohio native slowed down long enough to get married, have a kid and settle in Nashville, Tenn. And now comes his latest record, the curiously titled Not Cool, which features a slightly harder edge than the various shades of AltCountry he’s favored in the past (try “Crazy Motherfucker From Shelby, Ohio,” which sounds like late-era Bob Dylan on Red Bull and whiskey).
“It’s actually more representative of the kind of album I listen to around the house,” Easton recently told CMT Edge. “It feels more enjoyable to listen to than some of the more confessional, singer/songwriter stuff from before I was a father. Now, it’s more about having fun and getting back into things because they’re enjoyable to do. I feel it’s more real than anything I’ve done before.”
TIM EASTON plays with Jeff Roberson Sunday, Oct. 13 at MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine. Check out performance times and get venue details her e .
