As history has shown time and again, dramatic shifts from the mainstream are inevitable. Alternative rock pushed hair metal off the top of the mountain in the early 1990s, gangster rap overtook bubblegum hip hop and R&B around the same time, and disco met its unceremonious end in the late 1970s. All are notable chapters in the music history books.
In recent years, a similar trend has emerged in country music with the explosion of Red Dirt Country, a subgenre rooted in honest storytelling that borrows musical elements from traditional country, outlaw country, and guitar-driven southern rock.
Spearheaded by outfits like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Turnpike Troubadours and Zach Bryan, the subgenre has found a natural home in Colorado, a state defined by landmarks like Red Rocks and Garden of the Gods and the red, muddy waters of the Colorado River, which gave the state its name.
One outfit quickly climbing the red dirt hill is the Logan Ryan Band, which will be bringing its Texas roots to the Centennial State in a big way behind the band’s recently released debut full-length, Kamikaze.
Released this past January, Kamikaze captures the sound and energy the Logan Ryan Band has been delivering to stages across Texas for some time. The record opens with the title track and, fittingly given the title and lyrical content, introduces the listener to a guitar mimicking the sound of a plane in freefall. The lyrics conjure images of a pilot in an uncontrolled descent, a metaphor for self-destruction and losing control after chasing “cheap thrills,” all while projecting an attitude of no regrets.
Beyond the lyrics, the album’s visual identity is equally deliberate. The cover art features an airplane rendered in a vintage poster style, the same aesthetic used on the band’s previous singles, which played a significant role in putting the Logan Ryan Band on the map.
Backed by drummer Brent Riedel, guitarists Garret McKinley and David Elder and bassist Leo Morales, vocalist and guitarist Logan Ryan opens up across the record with the honest lyricism the genre is known for. At its core, Kamikaze reads like a window into the frontman’s soul, laying out heavy emotions and the experiences that shaped him into the mustachioed presence fans have come to know from the stage, the car stereo, and the turntable.
Themes of love and the nomadic life of a touring musician surface frequently. The reflective “When We Were Young” is a light yet somber meditation on watching life pass by while chasing a dream, and “Cheyenne’s in Carrizo” echoes a similar sentiment. But not every love song on the record leans into sadness.
Ryan shifts to lighter ground with “Pretty Devil,” a playful love song that builds instrumentally throughout; “Texas Cinderella,” a rollicking classic country number that conjures images of an old western dance hall, tall cowboy hats, and tight jeans; and “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” a gritty country rock track about forbidden love driven by overdriven guitar, organ, and a fun mid-tempo groove.
One of Kamikaze’s most remarkable qualities is how it transports the listener through lyrical storytelling. “Cheyenne’s in Carrizo” is set in a trailer park, “Texas Cinderella” drops you into an old western bar, “When We Were Young” finds you in a hotel room, and “Lucille” conjures a barroom gambling scene.
The record’s most vivid storytelling, though, arrives with “Bandit’s Ballad.” Featuring fellow Texas artist Presley Haile on vocals, the song is a wild west tale of an outlaw dreaming of escaping his life on the lam for a quieter one with his family in Mexico, only to have those dreams cut short in a shootout with the law.
While emotions run high throughout, Kamikaze reaches its most vulnerable moment with “Dad’s Song,” a warm yet heartbreaking tribute to the narrator’s father, who lost a battle with cancer. The lyrics navigate grief and mourning alongside visions of a one-time mechanic singing old country songs in heaven “with the boys,” all while the narrator reckons with fatherhood and the weight of filling his own father’s boots.
On the surface, Kamikaze is a quintessential modern Red Dirt Country record. But it reaches further than that, moving across musical styles and through varied settings, themes, and emotions while showcasing sharp instrumentation throughout. The result cements the Logan Ryan Band as one of the premier up-and-coming Texas Red Dirt acts working today.
The Logan Ryan Band will make several stops in Colorado in 2026, including an appearance at the Moxi Theater in Greeley on June 10.
