Album Notes

CARL WIRKKALA
Ghost Town

In a country scene overflowing with pop crossover drivel and squished-up cowboy hat posers, Carl Wirkkala’s authentic odes to the common man renew one’s faith in simple, homespun melodies. His first release, Ghost Town (2004) is an instant classic, evoking country outlaws like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings. Throw in the storytelling prowess of Guthrie, Dylan and Springsteen, and you have the recipe for timeless tunes that don’t rely on trends, gloss or pointless overproduction. Instead we are treated to honest portraits of the American experience, from a bank robber’s getaway reflections in “Borderline” to the gritty realism of “Gun Fighter’s Last Ride.”

Carl’s music reflects, among other things, his small town roots, his timber industry background, his love of the old west, his devotion to his family, and his faith in God. There isn’t a word or note in any of his songs that rings hollow.

Many of Ghost Town’s characters are searchers, like those in “Looking for a city” and “Ghost Town,” always looking over the horizon for a better way. Others are deeply rooted to place, work, and faith. For example, “Rigging Man” paints a picture of life as a logger, while “Shining Through” speaks to the unbending power of Christ’s message. Carl even lends his distinctive voice to two classics, “Sweet By and By” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” One of Ghost Town’s most moving cuts is “The Innkeeper,” where Carl envisions the story of Jesus’ birth through the eyes of the innkeeper who turned Mary and Joseph away.

If you enjoy an authentic Country sound delivered by a bona fide workingman, check out Ghost Town. You won’t be disappointed.

Jim K. Cooper 2006


Contact Carl at www.deafjimrecords.com
or cdwirkkala@msn.com