As the name suggests, West Texas Exiles are a ragtag group from assorted areas of the western region of the Lone Star State. The guys are rooted in Austin now, where 8000 Days was recorded (Studio 601) and where they have a residency at the country’s best dive bar (the Continental Club). The glory days of the “Live Music Capital of the World” may be over. Still, the Exiles do a fine job of recapturing their legendary cosmic cowboy shitkicker sound that made the Texas capital famous.
West Texas Exiles are led by a trio of songwriters who take lead vocal duties on the material they pen. Marco Gutierrez, former co-founder of the Dirty River Boys, plays lead guitar and possesses a raspy country blues rock voice that gives songs such as “8000 Days” and “Winds Gonna Blow” a biting edge. His narratives suggest that he’s a world-weary man who has experienced a great deal during his short life (8,000 days is less than 22 years), yet remains uncynical.
Colin Gilmore, the son of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, plays mandolin and acoustic guitar and writes rowdy, anthemic songs such as “Circles in the Yard” and “Way We Are”. His voice and lyrics suggest that living life to its fullest means paying attention to the present moment. Daniel Davis contributes the most tunes on the new disc and plays keys and accordions. His songs are the most folkish and his vocals the wispiest on ethereal cuts such as “Dark Desire” and “Already Gone”.
The three singer-songwriters are joined by bassist Eric Harrison (who also co-produced the record with mixing engineer Michael Ingber) and drummer Trinidad Leal. The quintet have been around since 2023. playing live and putting out an EP (“Volume 1”). 8000 Days is their first full-length album, and their collective sound is a blend of diverse genres, rooted in the rich musical soil of Texas.
The word “exile” suggests that one has been banished from one’s home. However, expulsion has made them look back with fondness. There is a unifying thread of reminiscence that binds the diverse musical genres employed. That mythos has always been a central part of the Austin musical scene as artists from around the Lone Star State gathered there to sing about their past experiences elsewhere in the former independent republic. Now Austin’s legacy has become part of this heritage.
A prime example of this can be found in Gutierrez’s “Division”, sung here as a duet with Kelly Willis. Although Willis was not originally from Austin, she established herself in the music city of the 1980s and has long been a part of the local scene, alongside her ex-husband, Bruce Robison, as “The First Couple of Texas Country.” Gutierrez’s song is about divorce. There is something delicious in a gossipy way to hear Willis croon about the perils of marriage and young love. Willis and Robison’s personal history has become part of Austin lore. One doesn’t need to know this to appreciate “Division”, but it does enrich the experience.
That’s true for the other nine tracks, as one can hear references to the Flatlanders, Blaze Foley, Willie Nelson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and other Austin-based acts in the licks and lyrics. Again, one doesn’t need to recognize the roots to enjoy the music. Like the bluebonnet, the West Texas Exiles provide a new flowering on the already fertile soil.
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