Album Notes

J.R. Byrd can really play with himself. As a monster multi-instrumentalist, his album Planted, was recorded almost entirely by J.R. alone at Barking Dogs Studios in Denton, TX. With his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, J.R. worked out each song, from the lyrics, to the guitars, keyboards, drums and yes, the studio engineering.
Grow and Propelled lead off the recording with synth patches giving way to raging, riffy reckless abandon including an arranged four part saxophone blast. Soaked is a modernist serenade with changing chordal twists that emphasize the awkwardness of courting a guarded lady. The album’s title track, Planted, explores J.R.’s experience with marriage. Kirby Attitude is an escape song that popped into J.R.’s tired head after a stint shampooing carpet in the house (Buffi Jacobs’ plays cello on this ballad). Everybody’s Got One came about after J.R. heard an inspiring sermon at his church.
J.R. collaborated with Bob Paterno on three songs. Their very first co-creation was 2.0. J.R.’s experience as a salesman at a Circuit City was drawn upon for the fictitious “Upgrade City” where people come to get a quick cure to everyday problems. The next co-creation, Left Handed, relates the maiden voyage of love to writing with your off hand. Finally, Wait for Me, winds down the album with an acoustic dream sequence that feels so real you may hit the ground before you wake up.
Mid album, Light it Up, perks up the record with a poppy, post-modernist punk feel. J.R. penned this tune with the help of North Texas jazz legend, John Adams, in an attempt to write something “Killers-esque” for an online ad.
The jabby Tenor Sadness is a dark comedic account about giving up on jazz, and going classical. This track features solos by J.R. on Tenor Saxophone and Tim Goynes on Guitar. The neo-country Pedal to the Metal is based on a high school relationship that just moved so fast it was destined to flame out. Peter Champagne engineered the funkilicious bass line for Moonlight Booty which is too sarcastic to be sexy, and just dirty enough that J.R. thought about excluding it from the collection, but wisely reconsidered. Piano Lesson describes the childhood stress associated with J.R.’s dreaded, childhood piano lessons. The track is topped off with an angsty piano solo. J.R.’s father Mike Byrd wrote the lyrics for the empty nester, Shores of Paradise, which J.R. later wrote the music for. Dogs in Ears occurs after the door shuts out the rain on the song Pedal to the Metal. Be a part of the Byrd household as you’re attacked by licking dogs. On to the next project we go.