Ronnie Fauss

I Am the Man You Know I’m Not

By Gerry Gomez

Staff Writer

Raised in the brutal heat of Texas, the rough hewn voice that Ronnie Fauss possesses takes its earnestness from life lived in sweaty watering holes and on baked country roads destined to the next gig in the next dirty town.

Dusty, smokey, masculine, Honky Tonk visions are what the Dallas-based singer-songwriter sings about. With a delivery somewhere near Drive-by-Truckers, Lucero, Shurman, Waco Brothers, Bottle Rockets and early Wilco, his album with the quirky title, I Am the Man You Know I’m Not, is full of well-crafted, well-written and well-played tunes.

Twangy enough to hold it’s own among the noted alt country bands, and loose enough to rock, Fauss with producer Sigurdur Birkis(siq) have created an 11-song testament that marks Fauss as a welcome newcomer to those standard bearers of bar beer salesmen. Fauss is Texas embodiment with a Mid West sensibility and sound. At times he’s stomping through a tune, at other times, he’s moving carefully through them, yet always with authenticity.

Within his lyrics are plenty of easter egg gems in his phrasing and catchy hooks. Fauss is an artist that clearly takes pride and plenty of practice in his craft. Always very thoughtful and always delivered with the perfect sentiment.

The album’s sequence plays like a set-list a little more than a side-one and side-two of a record. He opens with an up-tempo, “The Night Before the War,” that takes its place among a Steve Earle type of song wherein insight comes naturally from the seemingly young writer. It’s a song, like many of Fauss’ that makes a political statement and also personalizes the moment in a beautiful cause and effect way.

The third track, follows in the steps of the album’s title in its clever turn of a phrase. The song is set up a bit like Hayes Carll’s “Grateful for Christmas” in that Fauss is describing the hard times of the previous year and that everyone close to him has lived through them, he still finds that This Year is better than most:

“I’ve never had anything quite like the year, I know I’ll have this year.”

Fauss writes about stuff that’s easy to relate to, though one may not be in the moment of thinking of those things as clarion as Fauss does. When you hear him sing it though, you get it and smile. He sings truths of things we don’t always acknowledge much like Jeff Foxworthy made a living off of telling the truth, but telling it of things you don’t always realize give you away.

In “I Can’t Remember (What You Can’t Forget),” he’s at it again. Delivered with a little Jeff Tweedy quality in his balladeers voice, Fauss again mixes irony mixed with bittersweet melancholy:

“Kiss me once more like you did when we met, cause baby, I can’t remember what you can’t forget.”

Midway through this set, Fauss takes a breath to deliver the swaying, “I Can’t Remember (What You Can’t Forget)” and follows that up with a mellow version of Gram Parsons “Sin City,” joined on vocals by singer, Lily Hiatt.

Lucky for  Angelenos, Ronnie Fauss will be performing on Saturday, April 27 at the Ranch Party at LA Farmer’s Market and Sunday, April 28 at the Grand Ole Echo.

Fauss sings in “I Don’t See You,” “I don’t know what my future holds, but I know it don’t hold you.”

Hopefully, Mr. Fauss’ future holds seeing a lot of folks out for those highly anticipated shows.

For more information visit ronniefauss.com