Cactus Lee is Austin based Kevin Dehan's country folk rock band based in Austin Texas, with Kyle Crusham producing alongside a topline band of Texan session men.
The album opens with East & West a country folk song with shuffling chain gang percussion, as the desperate tale of separation feuding families pushing you out onto that road once more as mutter yellow is the best under your breath.
Lowell Mass. Is about taking a visit to that fabled town chasing Jack's ghost, tears falling down he finds the grave, or is he up in Dracut field, standing on the bridge over the Potomac, if it's still their has he visited the record shop by the bus station, where I bought my copy of Metal Machine Music when I visited in 86. This never mentions the reason for the pilgrimage, or the locations but still evokes a walk round that old eastern town.
Southwestern Bell has them leaving the bar at closing time, hoping to stagger home before daybreak, the strummed acoustic tale of getting 86'd again, he's lost another job, has to hit that trail once more on those hobo rails.
Olympic is a late-night confessional, as you've got to hide out once more, to get away from all those demons, the careworn vocals dialing into the spirits over the gentle organ and laid-back percussion, hoping to approach redemption holding on at least until the trumpet solo.
Caravan the title tune is a tale of being out on the road with that Caravan that won't wait for you, as you disappear into the backwoods again, you know you didn't do it, the organ hits homes indebted to Fairport Convention, as this sounds as much like an English folk story song as it does an American one.
River Rhone doesn't sound so French influenced apart from the organ sound as he claims he can listen to the River Rhone while driving at night, almost cafe society style jazz organ accompaniment gives this a Brian Auger road trip feel in places, it's all about the organ sound.
The album closes with Pale Rider another tribute to that mysterious Pale Horse Rider, all the myths recounted over some campfire coffee, super gently caressing backing draws us into the tale as that Rider arrives at your door once more the organ solo outro concluding the tale in a careful way.
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