Not my literal boy. I’m still too selfish for that. But, My Boy!

Who?

C’mon. If I’m going to sling tunes on this site, you know I’m starting with Tyler Childers. His live stuff has floated around for years. His 2017 album, Purgatory, was the best album of 2017, and I will probably fight you if you try to tell me otherwise. Seriously, protect your larynx if you come at me with that garbage. I kid, maybe. I mean, Feathered Indian was the couple’s first dance at my wedding, so, maybe not.

On Friday, his second official studio album, Country Squire, comes out. Several songs on the track list are songs he has done live for years, including the first two singles he released, House Fire and the fan favorite All Your’n.

All Your’n has long been a live staple, one that wasn’t nearly as, well, fluffy, before. The album was co-produced by Sturgill Simpson, and Sturgill has a tendency to remove the space and room to breathe that someone like Dave Cobb tends to add to music.

For example, compare the above version to the live one below:

I prefer the latter, but I’m also not the kind of guy that is going to get all butthurt when a guy takes a creation of his own and goes a different direction with it than my preference. But, the live version had Sarah and I discussing getting “I’m All Your’n” and “..and you’re all mine” tattoos. It’s the song we sing along together the most.

Another favorite is the more traditional Peace Of Mind, about a couple growing up in the holler. I have not heard the studio version, but again love the live version. It reminds me of the Jason Isbell line about writing If We Were Vampires. “Writing love songs is easy, writing marriage songs is hard.”

Here is the full track list.
1. “Country Squire”
2. “Bus Route”
3. “Creeker”
4. “Gemini”
5. “House Fire”
6. “Ever Lovin’ Hand”
7. “Peace of Mind”
8. “All Your’n”
9. “Matthew”

Of course there is a tour to accompany the album, if that is a thing for someone who tours mostly nonstop anyway. He is in St. Louis on Oct. 29, at the Stifel Theater. Yeah, I already have my tickets. It will be my second TC and the Food Stamps show, after seeing them live at The Pageant last year despite a nasty snow storm.

By the way, we have a Tyler fan club. Because, of course we do.

As for the column name Interesting Air, it is blatantly ripped from the Tom Waits line “Songs are really just interesting things to be doing with the air.”