Lubbock’s own Flatland Cavalry just rode their way into history, officially inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame — the same stretch of brick and bronze that honors icons like Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings, Joe Ely, and The Flatlanders.
From the Caprock plains to packed-out stages across the country, Cleto Cordero and crew have carried that unmistakable West Texas spirit — honest, melodic, and cut with a little red dirt grit. Now, they stand shoulder to shoulder with the very legends who paved the road they’re riding.
Not bad for a band that started out playing dive bars and late-night songwriter rounds in Lubbock. Looks like the boys from the Flatlands just got carved into the history books — right where they belong.
Been listening to this old Voice all weekend, Waylon back in the airwaves, getting air play everywhere.
There ain’t no damn good reason why those tapes were locked away all these years. Maybe the suits forgot, maybe the timing was wrong, or maybe it just took Waylon’s boy to hear what the rest of us couldn’t. But I’m damn glad Shooter dusted off the cobwebs and set these songs free.
Like Saving Country Music said, “the production is very good and handled carefully to protect the spirit of a Waylon album.” And that’s the truth — you can hear the respect in every note.
Then there’s the title track, “Songbird.” She didn’t need no polish or fresh coat of sound. Waylon laid her down pure the first time. Shooter just brought in a couple of angels — Ashley Monroe and Elizabeth Cook — to weave in behind him, soft as smoke, never takin’ the reins. It ain’t about makin’ it new — it’s about lettin’ it breathe again.
From there, the record rolls like a long stretch of Texas blacktop, steady and sure. “The Cowboy (Small Texas Town)” rides tall and lonesome, like a memory that finally found its way home. “I’d Like to Love You Baby” slides in smooth and easy, the kind of tune that makes you drive slow with the windows down. And “Wrong Road Again” — that’s pure Waylon: worn, wise, and still swingin’.
Each cut feels like a quiet conversation between old friends — no tricks, no gloss, just Waylon bein’ Waylon. Shooter didn’t try to fix what wasn’t broken; he just let his daddy’s voice do the talkin’. And for those of us raised on the outlaw sound, this one ain’t nostalgia — it’s a homecoming.
So here’s the thing — Songbird ain’t some museum piece or cash-grab resurrection. It’s a son keepin’ his father’s fire lit the only way a true outlaw would: by lettin’ the songs speak for themselves. Shooter didn’t try to rewrite history; he just turned the volume back up on a voice that never should’ve gone quiet.
For folks like us, these ain’t just old recordings — they’re reminders. That country music was once about soul before sparkle, truth before charts. Waylon’s still teachin’ lessons from the heart, and Shooter’s just the man to carry the torch.
That’s why Songbird earns its place in Pancho’s Picks — because it don’t ask for your approval. It just is. Rough edges, tender moments, and all.
Waylon once laid it down plain: “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand.” Later he slowed it into “Outlaw Shit,” the sound of a man realizin’ the ride was catchin’ up.
Now Shooter Jennings and Benjamin Tod got hold of it, and Lord, they didn’t just dust it off — they lit it on fire. Shooter’s outlaw blood rode it out like dusty boots draggin’ across a sawdust floor. Every note he lets loose feels like an ode to the bloodline he carries — same blood that once ribbed Willie Nelson for singin’ through his nose, but did it with love only outlaws can share.
Then Benjamin Tod steps in — and he’s spillin’ his guts on the table. That voice of his cuts jagged, like a rusted blade that still finds a way to cut your throat. Together, the two of ‘em don’t sound like a tribute act — they sound like the next chapter in the same rough western novel.
It ain’t pretty, it ain’t polished, but that’s the whole damn point. This cover don’t just honor Waylon — it brings him back to life, sittin’ right there by the fire with a crooked grin, noddin’ in approval.
