CD Review: Pug Johnson El Cabron
By Madison Monroe for Country Music News International Magazine
1 Big Trains
2 El Cabron
3 Buy Me A Bayou
4 Waxahachie
5 Believer
6 Hole In Me
7 Thanks To The Cathouse (I’m In The Doghouse With You)
8 Pipeliner Blues
9 Last Call (With Apologies To Terry Allen)
10 Change Myself Today
11 Time Well Wasted
Pug Johnson hails from Beaumont in the great state of Texas. His sophomore release is unique. He brings the traditional country sound to the table, all while being able to touch on other genres as well. One minute we hear Willie, the next minute it’s a little bit of Hank, then we hear Merle.. There are also elements of blues involved to keep things interesting.
“El Cabron” is a diamond in the rough because of how real and raw the record is. Country music is all about love and heart break; Pug brings that raw, unfiltered, spark to the table with this new album. Tales of cheating, messy women, and addiction can be heard throughout the record.
Working in the pipelines can be a lonely experience, and doing that while his relationship is being strained caused a massive heartache that he’s transferring to the listeners with Pipeliner Blues. This track is the scandalous, gritty story of not being able to say no when the opportunity arrives. Bouncing around from place to place, woman to woman, all while having someone at home. The steel guitar throughout the track rips into your heart and brings out the feeling of loneliness.
After being at a dirty motel with a woman up to no good, there is light at the end of the hallway. That light happens to be the track Believer. It is not your average love song, he overwhelms us with an amount of emotion and passion that you don’t typically hear. The jazzy feel takes it to a whole new level.
By the end of “El Cabron”, one thing is clear, this isn’t just an album, it’s an experience. As the final track plays and the music fades out and the last note rings in your ear you didn’t just listen to” El Cabron”, you were there in those moments. The vocals, the instruments, the writing, the emotion. Pug Johnson has done something special: delivered a real, unfiltered slice of country music that embraces both its roots and evolution.