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For those still unaware, the Austin-based guitarist, singer and songwriter Bill Kirchen confirms his lust for life — and offers up his lyrically referenced “rock ’n’ roll soul” — in several songs exhibiting the rockabilly-meets-honky-tonk style that earned him his “titan” status (as well as a Best Country Instrumental Performance Grammy nomination for the chicken-pickin’ song, “Poultry in Motion”).

The music flowing from Kirchen’s roots-loving heart to his ever-nimble fingers also blends boogie-woogie, jazz, jump blues, Western swing, country, folk and other idioms; yes, he was playing Americana before it had a name.

In fact, he helped pioneer the genre, way back when he co-founded what he calls his “hippie country band”: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. Back in the ‘70s, Kirchen’s twangalicious, fret-sizzling guitar riffs drove that band’s version of “Hot Rod Lincoln” to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

But for Kirchen, Cat Out of the Bag (out now) is also a declaration of freedom from the confines of his past. He wanted to explore new sounds, find new approaches … and he did.

“This album has the broadest scope yet of any of the dozen or so I’ve done in my own name,” he says. “A bigger palette of genres, songwriting, guitar work.” Amid the vibrancy of uptempo songs such as the title tune, the rollicking “Honky-Tonk Hellfire” and “City Mix” (with its “hillbilly licks”), there is also more downbeat fare, both thematically and musically.

1. Cat Out of the Bag
2. City Mix
3. Her Gone is Her Goodbye
4. Hamburger Man
5. One More Ride
6. Inside My Baby’s Heart
7. Black Sheep
8. Honky-Tonk Hellfire
9. Highway to Heaven
10. Love’s Direction Home
11. Mercy Light

The Bay Area-based singer-songwriter who ten years ago segued from his storied publishing career to a full-time focus on creating music, opens his new recording on the _______________ of the titular Cat Out of the Bag and then we get the ______________ of City Mix, the ______________ of Her Gone is Her Goodbye, the _____________ of Hamburger Man and then comes the ________________ of One More Ride.

Along next is the ______________ of Inside My Baby’s Heart and the _________________ of Black Sheep, which are in turn backed seamlessly by the ________________ Honky-Tonk Hellfire, the _______________ of Highway to Heaven, the new set rounding out on the ___________________ of Love’s Direction Home, coming to an all-too-soon close on the ____________________ of Mercy Light.

Official Purchase Links

www.billkirchen.com