Just The Way That I Am
Dave Insley
Label: DIR Records
Release Date: April 29, 2016

Dave Insley has a new CD out. Entitled, Just the Way That I Am, is the latest album from the Austin-based singer/songwriter. Backing him on the new CD are the members of his regular band, Dave Insley’s Careless Smokers, along with several special guests including singers Kelly Willis, Elizabeth McQueen and Dale Watson, as well as guitarists Redd Volkaert and Rick Shea.

On Just the Way that I Am, Dave Insley showcases honest, no-frills, hardcore honky-tonk music at its best. This is old-style country crooning, delivered in a vocal style that recalls the great Ernest Tubb. Dave’s new disc showcases his quirky, heartfelt narratives and smoky baritone, and features the musical muscle of some of Austin’s finest players. From the opening lines of “Drinkin’ Wine and Staring at the Phone” through the closer, “Everything Must Go,” it ain’t nothin’ but a hardwood floor party, with Rick Shea, Redd Volkaert and Danny B. Harvey on guitar; Matt Hubbard on piano, harmonica and trombone; and special guest vocalists Kelly Willis, Elizabeth McQueen (Asleep at the Wheel) and Dale Watson.

Just the Way That I Am is Insley’s fourth solo release and his first since West Texas Wine in 2008. His artistic maturity and the clarity of his ideas shine through, carried by the easy cadence and quality performance for which Insley is known. Highlights include the honky-tonk weeper “Win-Win Situation, for Losers,” co-written with Rick Shea and Paul Lacques (I See Hawks in L.A.) and performed as a duet with Kelly Willis; “Arizona Territory 1904,” a re-telling of a Marty Robbins classic; and “We’re All Here Together Because of You,” a tender, upbeat homage to his wife and family. Insley’s modern voice and old-fashioned approach have earned him a singular position in the broad field of Americana music. This is thinking man’s country—intelligent, thought provoking story-songs that grow more satisfying with each listen.