When the\u00a0Texas Wild\u00a0album first dropped in 2023, it sounded like nothing else: a genre-bending mixtape of Lone Star covers, stitched together by Texas artists and produced in celebration of 100 years of state parks. The result was part conservation campaign, part love letter to the state\u2019s musical heritage \u2014 and one of the year\u2019s most surprising albums.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation is bringing it back with\u00a0Texas Wild \u2013 Deluxe Edition, a re-release that expands the original project with five new tracks, limited-run collectible vinyl, and a few surprises that prove you really\u00a0can\u00a0make a good thing better.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The expanded album drops digitally on August 8, but fans won\u2019t have to wait that long to get a taste. A soulful, full-throttle cover of Roy Orbison\u2019s \u201cPretty Woman,\u201d featuring Grammy winner Ruthie Foster and cosmic country outfit The Texas Gentlemen, lands on streaming services Friday, August 1 \u2014 the same day that preorders open for the limited-edition pink Bio-Vinyl pressing. Only 1,500 copies of the eco-conscious LP will be available worldwide. They\u2019re wrapped in a package as collectible as the music itself: four interchangeable covers by Austin illustrator Mishka Westell depict iconic native wildlife \u2014 the mountain lion, desert bighorn, horned lizard, and mockingbird \u2014 along with a 24-page companion booklet on the wild places that inspired it all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to create a living homage to Texas\u2019 wild things, wild places, and wild traditions while introducing entirely new audiences to our lifelong mission to conserve it all,\u201d TPWF Executive Director Anne Brown said. \u201cVery few things can evoke the energy, inspiration, and awe we feel when we are out in the Texas wild, but music provides that perfect parallel.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 15-track digital version offers even more. Newcomers include Max Frost putting an indie-pop spin on Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s \u201cIrreplaceable,\u201d and Austin country-rocker Jonathan Terrell tackling George Strait\u2019s \u201cAll My Exes Live in Texas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rest of the lineup reads like a genre-hopping road trip through Texas sound: Shakey Graves and Jess Williamson channel Daniel Johnston; Fat Tony and Paul Wall ride the Tex-Mex groove of the Texas Tornados; and Ryan Bingham dusts off the Toadies’ brooding \u201cPossum Kingdom\u201d<\/a> \u2014 a bold choice he initially never imagined taking on.\u00a0<\/p>\n