Troy Cassar-Daley’s Old Road Home: One Last Ride Through Memories and Mortality

I am a big fan of Troy Cassar-Daley. This First Nations Australian country music icon has been a pioneering figure in Australian country music for decades. He has done music with everyone from Kev Carmody to Briggs from A.B. Original…still waiting for the next record A.B. Original…come on Briggs and Trials…Anyway, Troy is traditional country, which involves amazing storytelling mixed with emotional vocals and honest lyrics. What will his new record bring us?

Musically, Old Road Home is my favourite country music, which is warm with hints of the blues and some well placed electric guitar. There is a depth to the music that suits the lyrics and vocals very well. Troy has everything you want in a country song. There is some warm acoustic guitar and mandolin with bluesy harmonica and well placed slide guitar. This is traditional country without feeling dated or generic, which is to say that it is some good honest country music.

Lyrically we see Troy following a similar structure as John Prine in his track How Lucky where he goes to his hometown, looking at what has changed and reminiscing about the past. In Old Road Home Troy similarly sings about going back to his hometown and reminiscing about old stories as he sees landmarks and shops along the road that reminds him of time gone by. Unlike Prine, Troy’s version has a dash of mortality about it as he remembers the past with a soulful glint as he thinks about the remaining time he has left. For Troy, these memories are something to wistfully savour as he finds meaning and joy in the time he has left. This is a beautiful song about how these memories of place give our lives meaning and connect us to community.

Troy Cassar-Daley is taking on some complex themes of life, mortality, memories and connection in a storytelling framework that we can all relate to. I love how Troy’s songs are grounded in place and have such a genuine emotion connected to them. This is a great country track that will have you thinking back to the stories of your youth from your hometown and reflecting on your life.

Listen to Old Road Home