Mike Graham Find You A Highway Boatfolk Records BF10018
	by Michael Johnson

	Composition 101- "Write what you know." Hey! Don't laugh. It works- or at least it does for Mike Graham. His latest album, Find You A Highway, is a collection of songs that come from Graham's experiences growing up in West Texas. Only twenty four, Mike doesn't have all that much experience to call upon, but there are signs of maturity and understanding in his words. The opening track, "Be Alright", looks at a question that I think a lot of guys have at some time in their lives- "Why was my daddy so much better at being this age than I am?" I woke up this morning nearly twenty four Same age my daddy was when I was born I still feel like a little boy I wonder if my daddy did I can barely account for me let alone a kid I could teach him right from left, but how about right from wrong I've still got questions about that of my own If you know anything about West Texas, you know about highways that seem to have no end. That's what Graham writes about on "67". I love this line that describes an abandoned roadside café: But the weeds are in the windows now and the sign out front has nothing left to say Then there's "I Feel A Party Comin' On", a well done cover of a Larry Joe Taylor drinking tune, followed by Graham's "Way Past Last Call", a solid traditional country cheatin' song. "Joe", lamenting the settling down of a hell-raising rancher, and "Half Of Lubbock", a look at the hold that friends and family can have on us, are followed by "Ridin' The Rails", a conversation with a hobo. He said, "Boy, freedom is a young man's dream But it ain't what it seems. It's tired, cold, and hungry and dark, unholy things." He said, "Yeah, man. It's a prison cell." Graham and Davin James wrote "Sacking A Small Town." It's a cleverly written tune about a guy who robs a town while all the residents are at a high school football game. Mike said that he got the idea when he noticed that the attendance for a football game in the town where he was living was listed at 21,000 while the population was only around 15,000. "Marie's", by Graham and Eddie Chance, is about a West Texas beer joint that Mike describes as "the only place in town where a seventeen year old could go in and drink a beer." On the last track, "Some Things", Graham takes exception to the notion that "we're all the same." Graham writes that it's OK to want something better. It's better to know where it is you're coming from Than know where you're going and not know why. It's better to be on the big end of the score And better to be on the right side of the war. The music on "Some Things" is kind of one of those Larry Joe Taylor inspired country-hip/hop-reggae type deals that is really cool. The album was produced by Larry Joe, and all of the music on Find You A Highway is solid. Here's why: Davin James- Electric, acoustic, baritone guitar, and harmony vocals Chris Schlotzhauer- Pedal steel, lap steel, and dobro John Inmon- Electric lead guitar, and harmony vocals Zack Taylor- Drums and percussion Mark Fishback- Dass Mark "Flaco" Webernick- Piano Mike Gregory- B-3 organ Larry Joe Taylor- percussion These hot-shot players, Graham's slightly growling and effective vocals, and his surprisingly mature songwriting skills make Find You A Highway a definite keeper. Mike's popularity is growing rapidly, and he seems to be playing everywhere. To order your copy of Find You A Highway and to find out about Mike's upcoming concert dates, visit www.mikegraham.com.   Contact Michael Johnson at: rockzilla-at-rockzilla.net

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