June 17 2026
"Father Time & Mother Nature" by Clay Dubose
By Jim Hynes
San Antonio- bred singer-songwriter Clay DuBose has made himself very comfortable in Los Angeles for this resurgent comeback after taking a twenty-year hiatus from recording. During those intervening years, his father passed away, his daughter was born, and the pandemic was a stark reminder of life’s fragility. In short, DuBose has gained plenty of hard-earned wisdom that he pours into his songs, many co-written with Ted Russell Kamp, on Father Time & Mother Nature.
DuBose and producer Kamp treat this session as the grandest of reunions, portions of which must have taken place seven years ago or more, given the presence of the late Neal Casal on guitar. Besides Casal, the star-studded lineup includes a who's who of L.A.’s American scene, including guitarists Brian Whelan, Doug Pettibone, Dean Parks, and Will Ray. Delving further into the credits, we find notables Kamp playing bass, Carl Byron on organ, Whelan also on multiple keyboards, Eric Corne on harmonica, and the great blues vocalist Janiva Magness, who joins DuBose on the title track. Lineups vary by track, but also feature Danny Timms (piano and keyboards), John Schreffler (pedal steel), Sasha Smith (Hammond organ), Jamie Douglas, Mitch Marine, and Mike Clarke (drums). Even the engineers, Mark Rains, Dusty Wakeman, and Kamp, have high-profile legacies.
While that arsenal of musicians combines to produce some special moments, the overall result is solid rather than earth-shattering. Arguably, Kamp and Dubose may have overreached rather than settling for a core group to back DuBose’s storytelling with his gifted four-octave vocals. Like most Americana records, there are strains of rock, country, and blues as DuBose sings about time, loss, and family. The rollicking opener “When Heroes Say Goodbye” is imbued with the electric guitar of Steely Dan’s Dean Parks. DuBose sings about his lost musical heroes Chris Cornell, Tom Petty, Prince, and Neil Pearl. Whelan’s stellar interlocking work on guitar and piano is on display in “Winning Streak,” where DuBose uses gambling as a metaphor for taking a chance on a new love. Lyrics are filled with Las Vegas and Elvis imagery, but the song comes off as a hot mess. The Beatles-esque title track offers a bit of redemption, due to Casal’s spiraling guitar, Douglas’s fierce drumming, and Magness joining spontaneously with DuBose to take the song out. The chorus may be stating DuBose’s thesis for the album - “In the hands of Father Time, in the arms of Mother Nature. Humankind a harmony breaker. Did we miss the signs, dismiss the danger? You can’t cheat Father Time or fool Mother Nature.”
The up-tempo pop country grooves continue into “Dreams Come Untrue” with Parks and Casal trading licks over Byron’s swirling organ. Yet the introspective “Hope You’re Watching” is an ode to his late father, with the regret that he never met his granddaughter. The album’s other ballad is “Broken Mirror,” largely acoustic and highlighted by DuBose’s stunning vocal range, perhaps his best vocal performance of the session, where he layers his own background vocals. The stomping “Waiting For the Day” features Pettibone’s trademark guitar stylings, as does the churning rocker “Fading Away.” The radio-friendly “Growing Wild,” which reflects upon the speed at which children age, succeeds on the strengths of Casal’s guitar leads and Corne’s harmonica. Dubose adds a couple of covers. Kris Kristofferson’s ”New Game Now” gets a gentle ballad treatment. Album closer, “Scotch and Soda,” with Parks and Kamp on acoustic guitars, is a faithful rendition of the Kingston Trio tune, a favorite of DuBose’s late father.
Tons of care went into this album, from the selection of the musicians to the three different engineers and mulitple sessions. Unfortunately, a more stripped-down approach would likely let the songs breathe better. Nonetheless, the thoughtfulness of the lyrics, and more importantly, Dubose’s powerful and well-articulated vocals carry the day.
Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues.