West Cross Timbers is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Amanda Shires. Self-published and released on January 27, 2009, the album was co-produced by Shires, David Henry, and Rod Picott. Cross Timbers is an ecological region which figured in slowing westward expansion by Americans in the 19th century.[4] Profiling her for Lone Star Music Magazine, writer Christopher Oglesby praised Shires’ songwriting and noted progression from her previous release, 2005’s Being Brave.[5] Shires has explained that West Cross Timbers is actually her singer-songwriter debut album, while the previous album was recorded as a voice and fiddle “calling card” for employers in the music industry.[6][7]
Track listing
All songs by Amanda Shires except (6, 9, 11):[2]
- “Upon Hearing Violins” – 3:05
- “Unwanted Things” – 2:48
- “I Kept Watch Like Doves” – 2:59
- “Put Me To Bed” – 4:50
- “Mineral Wells” – 3:52
- “Angels and Acrobats” (Rod Picott) – 2:45
- “Rings and Chains” – 4:18
- “Days in Blankets” – 3:54
- “Keep Them Dogs from Barkin'” (Amanda Shires, Lanny Fiel) – 2:22
- “Mariann Leola” – 4:36
- “Whispering” (John Schonberger, Richard Coburn, and Vincent Rose) – 3:00
Personnel
as listed on the CD digipak:[2]
Musicians
- Amanda Shires – fiddle, vocals, baritone ukulele
- David Henry – cello, pianos, organ
- Rod Picott – guitars
- Paul Slivka – bass
- Steve Byam – pedal steel
- Rich Malloy – drums and chain
Production
- Amanda Shires – producer
- David Henry – producer, recording, engineering, mixing
- Rod Picott – producer
- Jim Demain – mastering
- Joshua Black Wilkins – design
References
- ^ a b “Release “West Cross Timbers” by Amanda Shires”. MusicBrainz. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ a b c d West Cross Timbers (CD digipak). Nashville: Amanda Shires. 2009.
- ^ “West Cross Timbers – Amanda Shires”. AllMusic. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ “Cross Timbers and Prairies Ecological Region”. Texas Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- ^ Oglesby, Christopher J. (May 1, 2011). “In Profile: Amanda Shires”. Lone Star Music Magazine. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- ^ Alford, Aaron (February 19, 2015). “Born Warblin’“. Oxford American. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ^ Harrison, Alan (May 2014). “Amanda Shires Interview”. The Rocking Magpie. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
External links
- West Cross Timbers at Discogs
- West Cross Timbers at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
