While Shannon Slaughter has certainly made a name for himself with his smooth vocals and sterling abilities as a flatpicking guitarist, he is also an exceptionally gifted songwriter. With the release of the Shannon Slaughter Band’s latest effort, Plowin’ It To The Fence on Elite Circuit Records, Slaughter’s lyrical prowess is placed front and center.
Of the album’s fifteen tracks, nine were either written or cowritten by Slaughter. The opening track, Them Lonesome Blues cowritten with William Dale Felts and David Stewart, speaks to the grueling realities of traveling on the road and making music for a living.
Silent As The Grave, written with Tim Stafford, uses haunting metaphors to tell the sad yet oft-told tale of a woman who is growing restless in a relationship, despite her spouse’s faithfulness. Dreamer on the other hand carries an uplifting message of never giving up on your dreams, and keeping your eye on the prize. As with all the tracks on this recording, Shannon is featured alongside his touring unit which consists of Ron Inscore on mandolin, Trevor Watson on banjo, and Cliff Bailey on bass. On several selections, the band’s sound is augmented by Aubrey Haynie on fiddle and Gary Hultman on resophonic guitar.
Fly Away on a Song, cowritten with David Coriell, speaks to how music can provide a much needed respite from one’s troubles, while Lonely On The Mountain is a heartbreaking lament that puts bassist Cliff Bailey front and center on lead vocals.
Stranger In Our Town stands out above the rest. Cowritten with master songwriter Rick Lang, this song talks of how the passage of time makes it impossible to relive a chapter of your life. Its brilliant lyrics hit home way more than probably most of us would care to admit.
Along with Slaughter’s compositions, there are a few songs by other writers. I’d Be A Cowboy by Mark Brinkman and David Stewart tells of a man contemplating what his life would be like away from the city and on the range. Lost In A Memory by Wes Golding carries an excellent groove alongside its reminiscent lyrics of a love that’s no more.
Plowin’ It To The Fence is filled with excellent songwriting all throughout. Though Shannon Slaughter has a knack for penning inventive lyrics, he’s surrounded himself with skillful musicians and cowriters to shine even greater light on that natural gift.
