With a voice that straddles delicacy and huskiness delivering impressionist lyricism, Portland songwriter Berkley (born Andy Jones) takes the mantle from folk rock names like America. His 2023 debut album Pueblo earned comparisons to the 70s Laurel Canyon scene, laying the path to his rootsy follow up Vaquero. The concept and early song sketches for Vaquero led to a Portland arts grant, allowing the typically DIY artist to better realize his vision for an LP in the tradition of Neil Young or his more modern heroes, Pete Yorn and Rufus Wainwright. With more room to explore in the studio, he gained new supporters in songwriter Sam Weber (Madison Cunningham) taking on a guitar/piano role, first-call session drummer Micah Hummel (Anna Tivel), LA/Portland jack of all music Tejas Leier Heyden, and the producer’s producer Gus Berry (Love Dean, Still Woozy). On Vaquero, Berkley crafts an episodic western drama that draws from grief and personal reflection on his biraciality in the wake of a death in his family.
Jones’s signature progressive flourishes and expansive influences keep him out of the heritage revivalism pack as he ventures into new (for him) territory of country-tinged, folk-leaning tunes.
The album’s woodgrain title track drifts from jaunty to intimately confessional with a flint-and-steel instrumental hook. “Blue Dreamers” harkens to Pueblo with a relentless drum machine beat keeping time for guitar heavy glory. “Two Johnnies” is a smoky dream of a song that exemplifies the untread sand Vaquero stakes its claim in.
Regarding album cuts, “Nowhereseville,” among others, portrays Jones as Tom Petty’s heir apparent while “Pioneer” veers from campfire introspection into early Wu-tang Clan-influenced sampling and electronic atmospheres reminiscent of M83. Exchanging modern folk rock's woodwind proclivities for Portland's — and arguably Oregon’s — most celebrated harmonica player, David Lipkind, Jones is expanding familiar acreage into a new frontier of groove-driven acoustically grounded music.
