El Viejo

by Corb Lund

Overview

Last time around, Corb Lund covered a pair of Ian Tyson tunes on Songs My Friends Wrote, an album saluting his singer/songwriter friends. Tyson passed a few months after the record's release in September 2022, leaving Lund to dedicate the subsequent El Viejo to his friend and unofficial guru of Americana. The album's title -- "Old Man" -- is a nod to Tyson; he's referred to elliptically in the lyrics and his presence is felt throughout these tales of rounders, ramblers, gamblers, and other assorted tales of ne'er do wells. The character sketches and short stories are modest and well-etched, the kind of songs that charm upon the first listen and gain resonance with repeated spins. The same can be said of El Viejo as a record, too. Produced by Lund in his living room, El Viejo features his group the Hurtin' Albertans lying back on acoustic instruments, swinging between ballads and boogies, and making stops at places in between. There's an intimacy to the interaction between Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans that gives El Viejo a warm, weathered vibe that's every bit as appealing as the songs themselves. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	02/23/2024
Label:	New West
UPC:	0607396579112
Rank:	61523

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Corb Lund   Primary Artist