Chase Rice - Eldorado
Self-released
****1/2
Chase Rice carries on his craft of spinning whimsically dark, inventively ear-catching, stories through song. He is no longer your average country musician as he has evolved into a mystic minstrel, a weaver of word. A self-proclaimed troubadour, pilgrim, circuit rider, who thrives on an esoteric upsurge, the Asheville farm boy has built his career by touring and playing live. Though steeped in country traditionalism, he is not your grandpa’s country act. He seems like a well-read guy with an intellect—i.e., don’t file him as just neo-traditional country—certainly not with this LP. His creative pendulum has found an unpredictable oscillation in recent years between exploration, truth and homecoming. Anyone expecting a sonic soundalike to his previous radio-friendly recordings will be pleasantly surprised at how deftly he handles this different approach. Living part of the year in Colorado, when not touring, the well-travelled troubadour comes into his own as an adult songwriter on this superb collection of songs. Like a landscape or portrait artist, he captures the hidden depths of his subjects, evoking the forces that animate the struggle in the unsettled journey through life. These song paintings owe their entrancing beauty to the ambivalent tensions that crack and bubble just below their surface.
There’s a tip of the hat to the myth and reality of the American West running though these songs. Cowboy Goodbye focuses on themes of hope and change and remains grounded to the singer’s roots throughout. As if bidding farewell to his rowdy Bro-Country days, the subtle guitar chords create a warm lead riff that repeats throughout—sort of like a reminder of the quest for freedom and peace of mind—and Rice’s emotionally laden vocals float over them gently. He canters effortlessly through Namin’ Horses, as misty mornings and afternoon sun breathes life into the delicate romantic lyrics and the cool autumn air and colourful showers of leaf confetti set the mood for this melancholy standout.
The gorgeously serene title track captures a young couple running away from painful memories and seeking a fresh start together. The tender ballad looks forward to spring and new opportunities in Colorado. While the rootsy, jangly Two-Tone Trippin’, featuring Wyatt McCubbin, is a toe-tapping blend of Americana influences as he takes a ride down endless prairie blacktop. Mr. Coors, is an inspired true-life vision of the American Dream. Circa 1943, an epic yarn of star-crossed lovers. will have you hooked from start to finish. With an easy-going chorus that will spin around your head long after the fade, this takes a page from a Skip Ewing songbook.
Throw in the wildcard Tall Grass, which warns about those menacing snakes hidden from plain view and Chase Rice’s anything-goes vocal stylings on songs like Country & Western and Cottonmouth and ELDORA reveals itself to be the sound of a performer determined to stress-test all sides of their artistry. He closes with Sunsettin’, a ballad about loneliness out on the road and always seeking out that special one to make his life complete. Finger-picked guitar and haunting fiddle sets the tone for the most moving and honest statement of his career. This track quietly drives the point home, at the end of the journey of this most impressive set yet, while that road indeed does go on forever. This is music for carrying on into the early hours.
September 2025