If I were to use one word to define the new Cd by Thom Sheperd, I suspect that the most suitable one would be “alcoholic”. The title says it all: “12 Pack”. The cover in itself, with a load of red solo cups in the foreground only fuels my suspicion, but fortunately the participation of “sober” singers such as Kevin Fowler, Cory Morrow, Roger Creager, Jason Allen and AJ Castillo guarantees that beer and Jack Daniels are not really welcome here and that the most alcoholic drink you can have is an orange soda. Obviously if you were to read the title of some of the songs you would “almost” be led to believe the opposite. “I Wasn’t Gonna Drink Today” (sung with Kevin Fowler), “Beer Pong Anthem”, “Always Saturday Night”, “Beer Season”, “Pier Pressure” (with Jason Allen and Roger Creager), “Friday Night Drink”, “Drink I Am”, “Drinkin and Dialin’” finishing with “Take Yer Drunk Ass Home” could indeed induce suspicious people to believe that, come the end of the recording session,the alcohol level of the artists involved in this project would be slightly higher than the average. Seriously, “12 Pack” is a very joyful and “damning” Texan style Cd, from the arrangements to the approach used for each track. 14 songs which obviously, as the main theme, have the passion of all Texans (and not only) for those nights where things go Over The Top, especially when it comes to beer and other spirits. From this point of view, strictly musical, the album is very pleasant to listen to. Shepherd’s voice is beautiful, well set and at times reminiscent of Brad Paisley ( just listen to “Always Saturday Night”) while the sound is totally country, without diverging towards pop and other genres. Besides the songs already mentioned, you should also listen to “How ‘bout a Shot” recorded with Cory Morrow and the “South of the Border Song” ,“Pour Some More por Favor” sung with AJ Castillo. In conclusion: country music, two step and Lone Star beer. (Gianluca Sitta)
