The release of American Breakdown finds Troy Campbell bringing it all back home. Back to Middletown, Ohio, where this native son of an Appalachian truck driver and a Korean war bride first forged his unique style. Back to Austin, Texas, where his Loo [+]The release of American Breakdown finds Troy Campbell bringing it all back home. Back to Middletown, Ohio, where this native son of an Appalachian truck driver and a Korean war bride first forged his unique style. Back to Austin, Texas, where his Loose Diamonds established itself as one of the hardest-rocking and highly-acclaimed bands of the emerging alt-country/No Depression movement. Back to America, where Campbell returned with renewed appreciation after a couple years of touring through Europe, winning converts in countries where his band never played.
Musically, the album represents a return to familiar ground. After Campbell's self-released 1999 solo debut, Man vs. Beast, allowed him to explore atmospheres and avenues beyond the scope of his former band, he felt inspired to bring his musical development full circle. On American Breakdown, Campbell teams with producer/guitarist Gurf Morlix, renowned for his work with Lucinda Williams and other roots-rock luminaries, to craft the sort of melodic, emotionally direct, heart-stirring music that has been Campbell's hallmark throughout his career.
American Breakdown allows Campbell to survey a broad musical expanse, from the bittersweet lilt of "World Full of Tears" (perhaps the most beautiful song he's ever recorded) to the mountain-music stomp of "Rosabelle" to the Springsteenesque romanticism of "Sleepin' Without You." Guitarists Morlix and Jon Sanchez combined with members of Campbell's touring band for sessions with a live-in-the-studio feel. Campbell and band are eager to tour behind the album, highlighting material from his two solo releases along with favorites from the Loose Diamonds songbook.
"The last record was more of a transition to explore different things, to separate myself from Loose Diamonds a little bit and play a lot of the music I hadn't had a chance to play", explains Campbell. "With this one, I'd been talking to Gurf in the studio, explaining about how I'd flipped out in London because I was dying to get back home. I didn't think I was having a nervous breakdown. And Gurf said, "It was like an American breakdown." That's what a lot of the songs are about - how to throw yourself out of your element, fragment and come back even stronger."
Campbell's been defining his own elem
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