Jobie Reviews Music 153: The State Songs Vol. 2 (album) by Rick Pickren. Requested by F63.

The State Songs Vol. 2 is a 2009 country album by Rick Pickren. It is 12 tracks long, encompassing 34 minutes and 48 seconds of music. The album is volume two in a series of four albums that contain all 50 state anthems of the United States. Like its predecessor, this album contains songs with excellent instrumentation and vocals, enhancing the already patriotic songs and staying true to their roots.

Pickren once again makes the decision to go for an older, down-to-earth style of country music (as opposed to more modern country music), which is extremely well suited for the patriotic anthems contained within this album.

In comparison to the previous volume of The State Songs, the tunes contained within this album are a lot more upbeat in nature, with more relaxed tracks still being present on the album as well. This makes for a nice mix of different country sounds, with the last track, in particular, having a kazoo featured in its instrumentation.

Pickren, like in volume one of The State Songs, mixes the excellent instrumentation with his equally amazing vocals, making for a blend of instrumentation and vocals which is on par with The State Songs Vol. 1. Certainly no complaints in that department!

My favorite tracks from this album are “O, Fair New Mexico”, “Where the Columbines Grow”, “Arkansas”, and “Texas, Our Texas”.

Overall, The State Songs Vol. 2 essentially matches the quality of its predecessor, with Pickren’s excellent instrumentation and vocals returning to bring us 12 more nicely executed covers of state songs. The continued choice to deliver these patriotic tunes using an older style of country music is well appreciated, making for tracks that come off as sincere and well-made. No complaints here.

Overall rating:

9.3/10

LINK TO ALBUM:

https://open.spotify.com/album/15IEa47Jixg5Tsa0mrijh8