Robert Earl Keen’s Western Chill is a whole lot more than “just” the latest album from the trailblazing Americana artist regarded by generations of fans and peers alike as one of the most iconic and influential Texas songwriters of the last half-century. Western Chill is so many things. In fact, perhaps it’s best to first be very clear about what it’s not: A swan song.
When Keen announced in January 2022 that he would be retiring from touring later that year, he also made it clear that he had no intentions of hanging up his guitar, putting down his pen, or never recording again. “Quitting the road doesn’t mean I’m dead, and it doesn’t mean I’m going to quit producing stuff,” he’s reiterated time and again.
Robert Earl Keen’s Western Chill is a whole lot more than “just” the latest album from the trailblazing Americana artist regarded by generations of fans and peers alike as one of the most iconic and influential Texas songwriters of the last half-century. Western Chill is so many things. In fact, perhaps it’s best to first be very clear about what it’s not: A swan song.
When Keen announced in January 2022 that he would be retiring from touring later that year, he also made it clear that he had no intentions of hanging up his guitar, putting down his pen, or never recording again. “Quitting the road doesn’t mean I’m dead, and it doesn’t mean I’m going to quit producing stuff,” he’s reiterated time and again.