Tyler Childers - Rustin' In The Rain

After the gospel ambition and conceptual grandeur of Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven?, Tyler Childers returned in September 2023 with something altogether more intimate and unhurried. Produced by Childers alongside his longtime band The Food Stamps and inspired in equal parts by the love songs of Elvis Presley and his own experiences working with mules during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Rustin' In The Rain is a compact, warm, and deeply human collection of seven songs about hard living and harder loving.

The album arrived with one of the most talked-about music videos of the year. Lead single "In Your Love," co-written with Geno Seale and beautifully filmed by music journalist Silas House, depicts a love story between two gay coal miners in 1950s Appalachia. Moving, specific, and rooted in the same regional pride and empathy that has always defined Childers' work, the video sparked controversy in some corners while earning widespread acclaim for its courage and craft. It is entirely in keeping with a songwriter who has never shied away from saying what he believes.

The album itself is a quietly joyous collection. The tangy, two-stepping title track opens with an immediate rush of comfort and familiarity. "Phone Calls and Emails," with its 3/4 time signature and tinkling piano, evokes the warmth of classic Charlie Rich. Fan favorite "Percheron Mules," long a staple of Childers' live shows, finally gets its official recorded form. A beautifully navigated cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night" wrings every ounce of emotion from a country standard, while a loving take on S.G. Goodman's "Space and Time" significantly boosts the profile of a song that deserves a much wider audience. "Luke 2:8-10" rounds out a record that, as one reviewer put it, simply serves up thoroughly satisfying songs you can live by and lean on.

Sometimes that is exactly what is needed.