Description:
"... His songs possess a plainfolks simplicity that appeals to an audience that exists far from the trendiest clubs and latest downtown hipster fads. There`s a throwback vibe to it all and a veneer of genuine decency. To say Stalling`s songs are introspective would be a Hall of Fame understatement. Despite a decade in Dallas, Stalling has -- at least in his music -- never lost the feel for Crystal City and the surrounding dry-land ranches where he grew up. A thinly veiled literary substitute for Crystal City, Topaz City reveals that Stalling`s idyllic view of the old hometown has matured, that suddenly he`s no longer able to idealize "the run-down beer joint/The stoplight with no point" as anything but what they aresigns of small-town decay and neglect. Stalling has always had a resigned sadness in many of his songs, and tracks such as "Lank & Lonesome & Low & Loose at Both Ends," "Goodnight Never Meant Goodbye" and "How Blue Can You Go?" are the equals of any songs he`s ever written. With Field`s (R.S. Field) sure hand at the controls, Topaz City is easily Stalling`s most satisfying and complete record yet.. even if it is unashamedly uncool." -- William Michael Smith, dallasobserver.com (Blind Nello)
