Dickie Lee Erwin – Poppin’ Johnny
From the title to the tunes, longtime Austin fixture Dickie Lee Erwin (whose career credits veer from Ronnie Lane to Killbilly) is enjoying himself, and the feeling is mutual. The title refers to the distinctive engine sound of a John Deere tractor, but unlike a Deere, this disc purrs along familiar Texas music furrows with nary a backfire. There are whiffs of Don Walser-like down-home sensibilities, particularly on “Farmboy”, “Big Screen Color TV” and “Stop Me From Lovin’ You”, which features infectious scale-climbing guitars and playful vocals. The veteran lets his young band take the lead on “Never Been To California”, a jangly acoustic-guitar-and-banjo toe-tapper.