With Corpus, Chasen Wayne doesn’t just deliver a record – he drags it through a dim-lit honky tonk, lets it bruise a little, and sends it back spinning on the jukebox. His third album album is a moody, muscular effort that nods to classic country while refusing to play by its rules. It’s a little bit outlaw, with a pinch of cosmic jam.. landing somewhere between the sweltering heat of a Texas highway and the glow of a neon sign, Chasen Wayne & The Honky Tonk Machine pave their own lane.
The opening tracks ease you in gently, with some warm twang and plenty of pedal steel to keep you comfortable. Corpus pivots at Easy to Find, a standout track that sends you turns up the energy. From there, Wayne & The Honky Tonk Machine lean in – gritty, grooving, and just a little bit dangerous.
Los Angelina is another Meanwhile favorite, while Santa Rita flips the script with an instrumental detour – flamenco-inspired and cinematic, it sets the stage for the six-minute barn-burner that follows.
What’s appealing about Corpus is its edge. In a moment when so much of country music is basking in gentle tenderness, Wayne stakes his claim on a much needed rougher ground. There’s heart here, but it’s wrapped in barbed wire.. Corpus is a slow dance that could end in a bar fight, a love song that might be more threat than promise.
Ultimately, Corpus isn’t afraid to be uneasy. It’s a record that sounds like it was whipped up in a fury and lived in for years – grimy and unmistakably alive. Chasen Wayne & The Honky Tonk Machine set out to build a honky tonk machine, and they did just that.
– @meanwhile_in_music
