Welcome To Hard Times. The title of Charley Crockett's new album is telling. Having grown up in poverty, even being homeless and making his money as a busker, he recently met an even tougher fate. The Texas country hero had to undergo open-heart surgery that saved his life. He considered "just a minute" to take it easy, but once he recovered, he did the exact opposite. The new album is arguably even more powerful proof of his literal heartbreak than the scar on his chest. Together with his producer Mark Neill, Crockett knew it had to be a dark, gothic country record, where the darkness in its lyrics will actually elevate others. Musically Crockett also knows how to give his country music more depth with "twang" and influences from spaghetti westerns and rhythm & blues. That has resulted in the best record of his career.