Big Shots kicks off like an old-timey bluegrass revival. But it quickly becomes apparent that something`s not right with the preacher. He`s taken quite an interesting stance on the validity of the great flood story - and its "handmade boat fulla dung" - during album opener "Noahs Ark". The record quickly veers off into a variety of other Texas roots/troubadour styles that captivate and give cause to ponder. That`s the way of Cary Swinney, a truly gripping songwriter from Lubbock, TX. With the whip-smart social and political commentary of a Steve Earle, the literary and descriptive qualities of one John Prine, and a bit of Kris Kristofferson`s gruffness, Swinney joins the ranks of the aforementioned, and does so with singularity and flair. As made clear on his previous two releases, Martha and Human Masquerade, Swinney has proven himself a songwriter willing to be brutally honest when it comes to the touchy subjects, and Big Shots is no exception. He also exhibits a strong awareness of not only the human condition, but the feathered-foul condition as well, like in the delightful "Birdwatcher", the other song on the album in which he uses the word "dung." (Johnson Grass)
