Country music has a way of allowing any tempo, every key and both major and minor arrangements to provide space for profound sadness. In his sophomore album, Jerry Zinn takes full advantage of this fact and drops a 10-song LP on our hearts without regard to our pain -- or his. From the downbeat of “Wall of Memories” to the last notes of “Tell Me,” Zinn and West of Texas bring the listener on a tour of love lost, twisted and gut-punched.

The clever, difficult and wry lyrics take on additional power when delivered by Zinn, who seems to channel the great George Jones’ ability to embed his feelings within the twists and turns of his
singing voice. Dropping in a bit late or a second early keeps the listener glued to his presentation, wondering why or even how he keeps the story moving forward through song -- or at least it did
for me.

With balanced production from Los Angeles institution Ted Russell Kamp and emerging producer Taylor Kropp and instrumental support of a modern-day and geographically dispersed A Team—
especially the poly-instrumentalist Jeremy Long—the music finds itself straddling the best of the mid-century Nashville Sound and neo-modern Bakersfield, with just a bit of the give-no-shits LA
country scene approach.

In the album’s first single, “I Can Almost Taste The Whiskey,” Zinn brings the three legs of his style together to explore the explosion of dancehall and honky tonk nostalgia dominating today’s
country scene. An ode to the modern urban cowboy and a nod to the early 80s’, West of Texas skillfully employs country music’s sleight of hand of an up-tempo song to hide heartache in plain
sight.

Most notably, these lyrical and sonic impacts come together on the B side when considering “15%
More of Your Love” and “I’ll Ask Gin” together. Two sides of what a listener could assume are
the same relationship, these songs take diametrically opposed approaches to the same pain. In
“15%,” Zinn uses a beer-bottle-throwing-pedal-steel-heavy-driving-beat-honky-tonkin’ song to
address love’s misunderstanding and then brings a full Nashville String Section to punctuate the
simplicity and sadness of the lyrics of “Gin.”
Much like a smell can bring you back immediately to a place, the songs on this album will place a
lump squarely in your throat as you navigate your own pain through the heartbreak of “Hot Motel
Nights.”

Tell Me

Whiskey, Wine & Empty Bottles

I'll Ask Gin

15% More Of Your Love

Get Back In Here

I Hate The World Again

Doin' Time

I Only Listen To Heartbreak Songs

I Can Almost Taste The Whiskey

Wall Of Memories

The scratch of the needle on record yields just a few seconds of silence – the time of just a few revolutions of the vinyl before the music plays. In that silence, there is excitement, anticipation and potential. Every album has it but only two have Jerry Zinn ready to deliver a uniquely modern yet classic country experience. The bearded frontman of the Los Angeles-based honky tonk band West of Texas, Zinn has spent the past 20 years creating music and living a life worthy of his classic country sound. Their full-length album in 2021, earned the band an Ameripolitan nomination in 2023. 

With a dry wit, sharp pen, and keen ear, Zinn presents something new and challenging within even the most conservative interpretation of country music. His commitment to the craft finds its foundation in the songwriting. The turns of phrase and clever licks would not feel out of place on the lips of George Jones, Johnny Bush, Buck Owens, or Merle Haggard – but sound just right coming from Zinn. 

Now Zinn and West of Texas are back with a new album, titled “Hot Motel Nights” that will be sure to join the creates of collectors and music lovers alike. The tracks of the album touch on real life, hard love and stupid men doing stupid things – often all in the same song.

Whiskey, Wine & Empty Bottles

West of Texas

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