Jarrod Dickenson’s New LP BIG TALK Is One Part Resilience,
One Part Vendetta, And One Part Rock And Roll
Out now; featuring the talents of Jano Rix, Ted Pecchio, JP Ruggieri, Claire Dickenson, and Oliver Wood; The BIG TALK Tour kicks off its European leg March 9th
Nashville, TN – February 3, 2023 – After a major label deal-gone-bad threatened to choke off his career, Covid complications left him with a life-long medical condition, and the Trump era sought to eviscerate the notion that America might still be that shining city on a hill, honey-voiced Texan songwriter Jarrod Dickenson would have certainly been forgiven for retreating to his Nashville home to lick his wounds and maybe write a collection of introspective self-pity anthems. Instead, the hardships and infuriation of recent years have only added steel to the resolve of an artist already willing to do it the hard way, prepared to stand in the face of a music business that shows dwindling regard for the brand of artistry that first inspired him to pick up a guitar and sing for his life—and Dickenson laid it all out for the world to hear on his new ass-kicking LP, BIG TALK. Out now, BIG TALK sounds like a mighty roar of defiance— that’s not a design choice or a marketing decision. The big Texan is settling scores all over town and he means every f*cking word.
Fans can stream or purchase BIG TALK right now at this link and don’t forget to check out out Dickenson’s collection of BIG TALK music videos: “With Any Luck,” “Prefer To Lose,” “Buckle Under Pressure,” and “Long Hard Look.” Limited edition BIG TALK vinyl can be purchased at Dickenson’s official web store.
Dickenson is heading over to Europe for the first leg of 2023’s The BIG TALK Tour in March, but will first make stops in Rochester, New York, on February 9th and Towaco, New Jersey, on February 11th. A full list of tour dates and ticket information can be found right here.
BIG TALK In The News:
Hal Horowitz reviewed the album for American Songwriter, complimenting its “Tight, melodic rockers…catchy, crisp hooks. For all his uncertainties about life, Jarrod Dickenson sounds focused and centered.”
Holler. shared the world premiere of “Buckle Under Pressure,” with writer Jof Owen calling it, “A big delicious chunk of foot-stomping Americana…if The Clash had grown up off the I-35 instead of underneath London’s Westway, this is what they would have sounded like.”
Steve Horowitz reviewed BIG TALK for PopMatters, writing, “Dickenson is not just talking the talk on the album BIG TALK. He’s pointing the way forward to a better world.”
Uncut gave the album 8 out of 10 stars, commenting, “The sweet spot between rugged country, southern soul and swamp rock…a persuasive parcel of slick Americana.”
JamBase premiered “Home Again,” featuring Jano Rix and Oliver Wood,
calling it “vibrant” and “hopeful.”
American Blues Scene gave BIG TALK a glowing review, claiming, “These are the words of someone who has made certain choices in life and if he didn’t come up a winner, he at the very least is a survivor.”
Glide Magazine praised album single “With Any Luck,” writing, “The theme of defiance in the lyrics translates to this forward-looking tune that includes a catchy chorus and some feisty guitar work, not to mention fun visuals of Dickenson rocking out over cocktails and tearing down the road.”
Twangville reviewer Shawn Underwood wrote, “His new record, BIG TALK, is a winner, due in no small part to the battles detailed within.”
For Blues Rock Review, writer Willie Witten called it “His best work yet.”
More About BIG TALK: This album represents Dickenson’s most direct and uncompromising body of songwriting to date and his decision to occupy the producer’s chair has injected BIG TALK with a drive and coherence that compliments the muscle of its material. Furthermore, Dickenson has assembled a band of ferocious players to bring these songs to life with striking authenticity in a series of live sessions recorded to tape.
The album features the talents of Jano Rix (The Wood Brothers) on drums and keys, Ted Pecchio (Doyle Bramhall II, Tedeschi Trucks Band) on bass, JP Ruggieri on guitars, and Claire Dickenson on backing vocals. Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers makes a guest appearance, singing on “Home Again,” and Ethan Johns (Producer – Ray LaMontagne, Ryan Adams, Laura Marling, Kings of Leon) wrote the string arrangement for the closing torch song, “Goodnight.” Together they create that unmistakable sound that only comes from the assembly of great players, in a room, having a blast. And what better way to flip the bird at those dark entities that inspired the album’s creation than to rage with such joy?
If Dickenson’s previous works have ventured a foot into the territory of rock and roll, BIG TALK plants a large flag. It’s classic like Petty, gritty like Waits. There are McCartney-esque melodies and the blues get thrown down with a certain Rolling Stones swagger, and yet Jarrod Dickenson has crafted a sound that is all his own. BIG TALK sounds for all the world like a man who has found his groove. Get the record, see a show, just don’t piss him off.
BIG TALK Tracklist:
2. Born To Wander
3. Home Again (feat. Oliver Wood & Jano Rix)
5. Bamboozled
7. If You’re Looking
9. Don’t Deprive Me
10. Goodnight
More About Jarrod Dickenson: Jarrod Dickenson is a guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, originally from Waco, Texas, and now based in Nashville. His two albums, The Lonesome Traveler and Ready the Horses, along with his EP, Under A Texas Sky, have earned him critical acclaim and a devoted audience on both sides of the Atlantic. Not one to fear an exhausting tour schedule, Dickenson has entranced crowds all over Europe and the US and shared stages with such legendary artists as Bonnie Raitt, Don McLean, The Waterboys, Jools Holland, and Jimmie Vaughan. He has performed at prestigious festivals such as Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival. In addition to his origin as a Texan, his current status as a Tennessee resident, and the fact that he dropped enough rent over the years to deserve to call himself a New Yorker, Dickenson is also an adopted son of Belfast. It was in the Northern Irish city where he met his wife and bandmate Claire Dickenson whose luscious, versatile vocal has become a central ingredient of his sound on stage and on record.
After a baptism of fire in the world of the major labels, Jarrod Dickenson now exists as a fiercely independent artist, a look that suits him well and allows his creativity to follow whatever path it damn well pleases. Nowhere is this attitude better encapsulated than in the bluesy rock and roll growl of his uncompromising new album BIG TALK, released worldwide on February 3rd, 2023 via Hooked Records.
For all things Jarrod Dickenson, visit jarroddickenson.com.
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