This might be Roger's fourth album but he is getting better as time goes by. He has managed to stay true to his Texas Country roots and use a new-found sophistication to broaden his audience. That's a tough feat to attempt and with Lloyd Maines producing, how could you go wrong?
About Roger Creager
Roger Creager might not be a well-known name in the national Country Music scene, but he's working on that. Thanks to a large Texas Country following and an ability to put on an explosive live show, the Corpus Christi native has been taking things on a worldwide scale (hitting fourteen different countries) within the past year. Because of this, Roger has tried taking things to a higher level on his fourth album.When an artist talks about taking the next step, I have to groan a bit because you never know just what that means until you hear the completed works. Afterall, there have been many musicians whose music I liked only to have their new music sound more like a sell-out.
Relieved was the key word after listening to Here I Am and discovering that what I liked about Roger's music is still alive and kickin' - just on a more sophisticated playing field.
'Here It Is' - The Songs
If there ever was a song that could describe and define Roger's life on the road and in the honky tonks it's "I'm From The Beer Joint." His friends can stick to singing on the radio, because his preferences include ice cold beer, smoking hot women, and the chance to put on a great live show. Speaking of entertaining and being on the road, "I Love Being Lonesome" deals with that very same topic. It also has a great line: "I love being lonesome, but I don't like being lonely." Though the man loves the way he's living his life, he still says that every cowboy needs that soft touch to help tame their wild streak.Country artist Trent Willmon helped write a total of four songs with Roger for inclusion on the Here It Is album. The first one is the rolling-tempo of "Driving Home." The man went to California to see what opportunities awaited him, only to find that what he missed the most was back home. He gets into his truck and "burns up the night" to get back to her as fast as possible. "I'm Missing You" almost feels like it could be a sequel to the previous song, taking place many years later. Only this time the man misses the woman because of the things he said and the actions he took broke apart their relationship. The first verse is worded so nicely and leaves no doubt as to the pair's songwriting capabilities.
Another prominent co-writer is Radney Foster. He wrote three songs with Roger. "Tangle Me In You" has a different groove to it, "She Chose You" is enough to put a tear or two in your eye as you listen to a man pouring his heart out to the man who now has what he was planning on keeping from now until eternity. The third song is "A Good Day For Sunsets" and is one of my favorites from the album. The positivity is beaming as bright as the sun and who wouldn't want to take a chance with a man who wants to help mend a formerly broken heart by taking a drive and taking new chances.
Release date: August 25, 2008 - Thirty Tigers
Here It Is Track List:
- I'm Missing You
- Driving Home
- I Loved You When
- I'm From The Beer Joint
- She Chose You
- Needle In My Arm
- Cowboys And Sailors
- Good Day For Sunsets
- I Love Being Lonesome
- Tangle Me And You
- Let's Run
- Man I Used To Be
- My Ships Go Down