David Tribble - Golden Junk (2021)

Texas singer-songwriter David Tribble’s new album, Golden Junk, is full of honest, beautiful, songs that draw you in and have you listening to them again and again.

Tribble describes the songs on this album—his third—as “songs that need to be heard.” We agree. They also show his range, as he easily flows from a soulful ballad into a rocking bluesy number and then into a softer, gospel-tinged R&B sound, and then a bit funkadelic. And it all works. Tribble comes across as a humble, down-to-earth guy, both in his songwriting and guitar playing and his songs are rich with emotion and honesty. He describes himself as an awkward kid in an interview on his website, but the singer-songwriter clearly found himself through music.

The first track, “It Wouldn’t Take Long,” is a soulful melody of Tribble’s liquid-smooth voice layered over gorgeous strumming and harmonica. The songwriter beckons you to listen to what’s on his heart with a sense of longing and desire for connection. From there, Tribble slides into an absolute badass of a song, “Rope & Gun,” with chunky bass lines and a beat that makes you want to drive into the dark night running from something. It feels like it would be a great score for a dark western or bank robber movie. “I check my gun, I check my rope, just in case I need to fight someone,” he sings. The next track, “Keeping a Dam,” goes in a totally different direction, with an R&B beat, and soul-sounding vocals, and does a beautiful job of both. “Reaches of My Heart,” has more of a gospel sound, and speaks to Tribble’s faith and conviction and his upbringing in the church. “Come to the Mountains,” is pure singer-songwriter beauty, just Tribble’s soothing voice, acoustic guitar and harmonica, classic simplicity. “Foot of Water,” goes in a percussion-driven funkadelic direction. Title track “Golden Junk” has a country sound with a hint of polish.

The album ends with a tribute to the singer songwriter’s hometown. The sound of the Martin guitar is the star, with Tribble’s rich voice layered on top in this ode to summers growing up in “Texarkana.” “Red dirt summer with my grandma, ridies ponies and motorcycles through the fields… “Drinking grandma’s sweet tea in that summer sun, driving tractors and watching those combines run, Texarkana split me right in two, right around 1982.”