William Clark Green

At first, I was super excited that the huge dude from The Green Mile had started making music.  I bet that dude would sound like a big, bad Barry White love machine if he made music.  But no, that dude's name is Michael Clarke Duncan.  Which is really nothing like this guy's name, except that I somehow retained his middle name back in the recesses of my brain.

Instead of Barry White soul, this is a Texas singer-songwriter with some Nashville country vibes. His lyrics can be pretty well done at times, but most of the music that comes along with it is not the solo picking of the folks I think of as Texas singer-songwriters, it is more of the Dixie rock and roll sound.  But after a couple of listens, I don't think he smells like Nashville after all.  Every once in a while ("Outcast") he breaks out a Steve Earle-ian sound that makes me think he's doing something better and more original.

Biggest hit (by a mile) is one of those bits of country songwriting schtick that is too clever by a mile (not quite as hinky as "Hollywood Squares," but in the same wheelhouse as "Check Yes or No") called "She Likes the Beatles."  He's got about 680k spins of that one, while his next tune checks in at 68k.  Pretty big differential.

Live version (can't find the studio version on YouTube) but not too terribly different from the original.  His voice is good, and the more I listen to it, the more I like the lyrics and sentiment of the song.  It ain't Dylan, but I think its fun.

Green has four total albums available on Spotify - 2008's Dangerous Man, 2010's Misunderstood, 2013's Rose Queen, and 2015's Ringling Road.  Overall, I'd call them hard to categorize after a few listens.  He's got swamp-ified gumbo ("New Orleans" or "Born on the Bayou"), charming love songs ("Let's Go"), the Steve Earle move ("Outcast," but also "Can't Let Go" and "Drunk on Desire"), and pure cross-over Nashville rock.  His second-most popular song on Spotify is "Sympathy," from that most recent Ringling Road album.

The think I'm liking is that even though this has the generic hallmarks of crap country, the lyrics aren't god-awful garbage about trucks and tight shorts and dirt roads, etc.  That being said, this one is not his strongest lyrical effort for me.  I think "Ringling Road" is pretty cool though.

That plunking little banjo bit is great, just slinking up and down with a mysterious lilt.  I like it.  Overall, I'd say this guy isn't going to make my top things to see, but I think he could be a fun afternoon band to just jam out to with a few beers.