The Oregon Trailers

The songwriting vehicle for 23-year-old multi-instrumentalist Tyler Lackey specializes in a kind of dreamy, folky pop with country flourishes and sumptuous vocal harmonies, sort of like a less somber Fleet Foxes or a less bombastic Telegraph Canyon or Mumford and Sons. “Walking After You,” off the self-titled debut EP that The Oregon Trailers are releasing at the show, is a brisk, sunshiny acoustic-based jaunt illuminated by a yawning chorus that demands to be sung along to. Meat-heads might dismiss it as, say, Hart of Dixie-ish. I choose to think it’s nothing but a beautiful piece of songwriting that’s clear-eyed and urgent. And, OK, a little saccharine but not to the point of mouth-puckering.

Recorded at Lackey’s home studio, the EP is definitely fresh –– he said he only started writing the songs about six months ago. Formerly known as the indie-rocker Tyler Lee, Lackey said he wanted to do something different. “Instead of writing songs intended to a specific genre, I just picked up my guitar and wrote with what came to mind,” he said.

There’s a direct correlation, he said, between the music and his band’s name. “Like The Oregon Trail, this musical project was all about a journey and exploring the unknown,” he said. “For me, it was about exploring new ideas as a musician, as well as the stories that I could create through the songs.”

The goal now is to play more shows (with backing from Tyler Kelso, Eric Reaves, and Matt Spivey) and write more music in keeping with the EP’s style. “We would love to eventually tour and let the world hear The Oregon Trailers,” he said. - Fort Worth Weekly