Bubba Bellin — Where Funk, Soul, and Old-School Country Collide
Bubba Bellin is on a mission. He’s out to revive the classic heyday of old-school country. We’re talking the period from around 1972 to 1995. But he’s not just trying to dust off those old standards and introduce them to a new audience — the songs have already been written and performed, and he knows that. Instead, Bellin is here to do something very different.
For years now, Bubba Bellin has been adding his own twist to that old-school country sound he fell in love with as a youngster. These are classic-sounding tracks refreshed and reinvigorated for a 21st-century world. Not only that, but he also throws his other influences into the mix — things like soul and funk — creating an exciting and exhilarating brand of music all his own.
In 2024, Bellin is back with a new full-length album. Entitled Western Soul, the LP is a demonstration of all that Bellin has been doing these past few years. It’s a manifesto, a new context for musical exploration and creativity. Western Soul is a great record, and to clue you in on just what we’re dealing with here, we’ve reviewed five of the album’s stand-out tracks.
Song Reviews
Ain’t Allowed to Leave Texas
“Ain’t Allowed to Leave Texas” kicks off Western Soul. Right from the outset, Bubba shows exactly why he uses words like “Texas Funktry” to describe his sound. With a bass line that wouldn’t sound out of place on a George Clinton record and with slide guitar reminiscent of classic country from the Lone Star State, Bubba sets out his stall early. And he sets it out well.
The track is a lilting, loping three minutes of country swagger with a heavy funk tinge. Bubba’s vocals hits all the honky-tonk high notes of love, regret, and sarcastic defiance — singing about “my baby in Georgia, she’s with a brand-new man.” Just like all the best country, it’s a tale of a man at rock bottom, but delivered in such a way it can’t help but put a smile on your face.
Cold Dark Water and Blackjack Mud
The second track on Western Soul, “Cold Dark Water and Blackjack Mud,” takes things down a notch. It’s deeper and earthier than the first track, and it rides in on a lower tempo. This is where another of Bubba Bellin’s sonic influences comes into play — the rich, emotional resonance of soul.
The walking bass gives the song a menacing feel, while the chord progression and soulful vocals from the backing singers plug the listener directly into a certain time and a certain place. Sounding a little like the late, great Justin Townes Earle on his own The Saint of Lost Causes from 2019, Bubba Bellin manages to create an evocative and enthralling atmosphere within his music. And when he tells you to “go match the pedal, can’t drive too fast, with a Louisiana man hard on your tracks,” you really believe him.
Driving You to Denver
“Driving You to Denver” finishes off the charming triptych that opens Western Soul. On track three, Bellin has his balladeer boots on. Slide guitars and plucked strings sharp as crystal wrap themselves around Bellin’s lyrics as he evokes the cold, mountainous landscape of Colorado. There’s not quite so much funk and soul to get your teeth into on this one, but that doesn’t matter — Bellin has plenty more strings to his bow.
As a country ballad, “Driving You to Denver” is a real triumph. This sort of narrative-driven songwriting always needs to be tight and composed, taking the listener on a clear and logical journey they can absorb themselves in. The payoff needs to come from a soaring, catchy chorus and an about-face middle eight that resolves the tension built up in the song. With “Driving You to Denver,” Bellin pulls this off with aplomb.
Getting In the Mood
“Getting In the Mood” is surely one of the album’s best tracks. It’s another ballad, slow in tempo and heavy on the slide guitar. But it’s a ballad of a different kind. As you might expect from the title, this track isn’t so much about love and loss…it’s just about love, if you catch my drift.
Musically, Bellin’s soul influences are well and truly on display in this one. The rhythm section drives the song forward, and there’s plenty of space for the tremendous bass line to breathe and take on a life of its own. Licks of Spanish guitar in the background add to the feelings of intimacy and closeness, as Bellin shows off yet another expertly crafted composition, drawn from a rich vein of songwriting form.
Queen of the Suburbs (Karen’s Song)
Last, but certainly not least, on this rundown of great Bubba Bellin tracks is “Queen of the Suburbs (Karen’s Song).” With this track — number seven on Western Soul — Bellin is tapping into a fine tradition of American songwriting. The tradition of titling a track “[Girl’s Name]’s Song.” Think the delicate ballad “Kathy’s Song” by Simon & Garfunkel or John Denver’s moving “Annie’s Song.”
Except this one, “Karen’s Song,” is nothing like those. It’s a song dedicated to the Karen of the internet meme — the soccer mom who’d like to speak to your manager — rather than someone you’ve fallen in love with. “Queen of the Suburbs (Karen’s Song)” finds Bellin in excellent form, delivering an up-tempo track with all of the snark and sass you’d expect from a subject matter like this. “She’s an advocare selling, a gossip telling, Facebook sharing machine”… and there’s plenty more where that came from.
Streaming now on USA Heroes Radio at rBeatz.com.
Bubba Bellin’s Western Soul was released on November 8, 2024, and is available wherever you get your music. Keep an eye out for Bubba’s next tour. This is a musician who really values the connection he has with his audience, so you can expect him to be back out on the road supporting his new album in the not-too-distant future.
More Artists and Show Episodes
