ZANE LEWIS

Zane Lewis—Slant Records.

Tracks: Welcome To The Southlands; She’s Got It Goin’ On; Come With Me; Everthing I Want; Leavin’; This’ll Be A Memory; Fly; Off The Record; A Helluva Time; Becky Brown’s Dad; Bad Ass Country Band; Even A Leaf.

This sixth generation Texan was born in the town of Lubbock and raised in Round Rock, north of Austin His early musical education came from listening to his father who played in his own western swing band. Zane graduated from college with a degree in advertising and entered the magazine business. This lead to establishing an equestrian magazine Western & English. It became so successful that he and his business partner sold it to the publication Cowboys & Indians.

Zane used some of the money from this sale to go into the recording studio along with Leanne Rimes road band and cut his first album This Town. Three of the songs from the album became Texas chart hits and Zane began opening shows for the likes of Dwight Yoakam, Chris Cagle, Steve Holy and Deryl Dodd. He can be found constantly on the road making music wherever he can.

His cutting edge country is in your face attack with a rock ‘n’ roll attitude that is constantly winning more fans day-by-day and if his second album Zane Lewis is anything to go by then this good looking young Texan is most certainly heading for the top and I suspect that given the chance to hear him the Brit dancers will take him to their hearts and dance floors in a big way.

Zane Lewis welcomes you to the party with the opening cut “Welcome To The Southlands”—a salute to southern pride and attitude that defies you to keep your feet still. “She’s Got It Goin’ On” slows down the tempo a tad while retaining that dance groove with a strutting attitude that’s infectious.

“Come With Me” is an excellent country ballad that lovers will relate to and enjoy. “Everything I Want” is mannish, sexist and I love it. Could become an anthem for the free thinking male.

“Leavin’” is a clever follow up to the last song when you come to think about it. But this is not the intention. It’s more about a small town not being enough for the lady. Go on then an anthem for the free thinking female, ahum? “This’ll Be A Memory” is modern country at its best from a rising star that is making his bid with this album. “Fly” is one of the two Lewis co-writes on this self-titled album—again rich in content and music.

“Off The Record” is a musician’s song for sure, more for the dyed in the wool fan than the casual listener—it’s a last waltz bum grabber direct from honky tonk world. “A Helluva Time” picks up the tempo to fill the dance floor with energy and attitude. Guess I’ll have another beer and keep my foot tapping to this infectious music.

“Becky Brown’s Daddy” finds association from me—is it with the hero or the gun cleaning daddy, probably a little of both I suspect. Is it the red blood or the colour that refuses to run.  My favourite cut on this smashing album is “Bad Ass Country Band”, co-written by Lewis. I really must stop living out every song that I hear, especially those with my initials BA in them. Great blood stirring music though.

Pleased that Zane decided to close this album with a power ballad “Even A Leaf” another sure fire hit should fortune smile on this talented Texan with an ambition and talent as big as the lone star state its self.

By BRIAN AHERN