Search - Trent Willmon :: Broken in

Trent Willmon - Broken In

Ashley Morris | Cocoa, Florida | 02/29/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The follow up album to Trent Willmon's "A Little More Livin'," "Broken In" has a unique quality about it that sets him apart from other country artists. "Broken In" also happens to be the title of the first single released from Willmon's third. With song topics ranging from traveling the next county over for alcohol ("Dry County"), to his account of how a Cowboy goes through life ("How A Cowboy Lives"), to his song of unconditional love ("I'll Love You Anyway"), "Broken was definately worth the wait for its' release, and the trouble of searching several different stores before buying the last copy at the final store I visited. Music wise, the sound is a little on the Contemporary Country side, but lyrically it had a more traditional sound to it. If you liked "Trent Willmon" (his self titled album) and "A Little More Livin'," you will enjoy "Broken In" also."

3.5 Stars--A mediocre effort from a strong, talented artist

DanD | 03/15/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I buy very few contemporary country records these days. It's not that I think country music is in a state of decline (with a few pop-country exceptions, I think the music today is pretty solid), but because I just think most of what's out there today has been done before. Trent Willmon, on the other hand, is an artist I know will deliver the goods: strong, solid tunes that mix the best of traditional and contemporary country. More or less, BROKEN IN does this.



The problem is that it just doesn't equal his previous efforts, his self-tited debut and A LITTLE MORE LIVIN'. Most of the songs on BROKEN IN are solid, but the downers definitely weigh the record down--namely "The Truth," "I'll Love You Anyway," and to an extent "Cold Beer and a Fishing Pole." They're just predictable; there's not much substantial to them. Many of the other songs are winners--the title cut, "Tumbleweed Town," even a passionate performance on "Doesn't Mean I Don't Love You." "The Way I Remember It" cuts straight to home, while "How a Cowboy Lives" is a powerful slice of country/blues. Lyrically, Willmon is a step above his peers (even though he relies heavily on outside writers, such as Rhett Akins, Bobby Pinson, Jeremy Spillman, and others); only a true Texas cowboy could declare "Being me is hard on us both" and come off sounding authentic.



Willmon's flat, droll voice has an edge to it that cuts to the chase, that slices off the fat and leaves us with the heart and soul of his songs. Unfortunately, he can't seem to decide whether he wants to be something of a Texas cult-singer (evidenced by the presence of Roger Creager and Kevin Fowler on this album, as well as his cowboy material) or become a mainstream sensation. Honestly, he has the talent to pull of either one. So hopefully, with his next album he'll decide which path he wants to take, and his fourth record will be stronger. As is, BROKEN IN is worth a listen or two, but more important here is Trent Willmon, who is certainly one of the best at what he does."