Thoughtful, tongue-in-cheek humor, honesty makes Chris J Norwood’s upcoming “I Am Not Cool” one of 2021’s best singer-songwriter surprises.

 New album follows-up 2017’s acclaimed Longshot; “His clear, plain-spoken tone is ideal for this type of storytelling,” says Dallas Morning News.
 
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Chris J Norwood as photographed by Alyssa Leigh Cates.
 
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Chris J Norwood | “The Final Girl”
 

Check out the video for “The Final Girl” from I Am Not Cool by Chris J Norwood
 
“I’m actually not a big horror movie buff, but I became pretty intrigued by the old horror movie trope of final girls,” says Chris J Norwood of the video for “The Final Girl,” an early release from his upcoming new album I Am Not Cool.
 
“Final Girls are essentially the lone survivor in horror films that either survive by getting away or killing the killer.  Think Sidney Prescott in the 'Scream' movies or Laurie Strode in the 'Halloween' movies.  The song is about my final girl staying around with me and being the one to kill off all the demons inside me.  For the music video, which came out last Halloween, we decided to flip the script in a fun way.”
 
[VIDEO]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djc4jhiiVPg
 
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Chris J Norwood | In The Press
 

“His clear, plain-spoken tone is ideal for this type of storytelling.” — Dallas Morning News
 
“A tale about the uncertainties of life and the adventures it may bring.” — Central Track
 
“Talk about making a statement. Norwood’s debut album introduces a compelling new songwriter to the Texas Americana scene.” — Twangville
 
“[A] searing summer song set that Americana, Folk, and Alternative Country fans will all love.” — Buddy Magazine
 
“I can’t wait to see what else Chris J Norwood has for us in the future.” — Wild Roots Magazine
 
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Chris J Norwood
I Am Not Cool
Aug. 20^th, 2021
(State Fair Records)
  

 Track Listing:
 
01. I Am Not Cool (Prologue)
02. The Final Girl (VIDEO)
03. Good Guy With A Gun
04. Creature of Bad Habits
05. Leaving Louisiana Behind
06. I Am Not Cool
07. 85 Feet
08. Grandpa Was A Farmer
09. I Need You (To Quit Breaking My Heart)
10. Home Is You And Me
11. Love And Mercy
12. I Wrote You A Song
 
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Chris J Norwood | Live

05/14/2021: Dallas, TX @ Granada (w/ Texicana opening for Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears)
 
05/15/2021: Grand Prairie, TX @ Firehouse Gastropub (w/ Texicana opening for Grady Spencer and The Work)
 
05/21/2021: Dallas, TX @ Oak Highlands Brewery
 
06/04/2021: McKinney, TX @ Texas Music Revolution
 
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Chris J Norwood | About
 
Chris Norwood isn’t cool.
 
Or Chris J Norwood, as the Dallas-based singer-songwriter bills himself, is not cool.
 
So “not cool” that when searching for a synonym for “uncool” that starts with “J” in order to complete a lame joke, this writer could not find one.
 
Pretty damn uncool.
 
Norwood is honest, however, and in a world that becomes more cynical by the moment, the kind of honesty that he conjures and delivers so eloquently and elegantly on his new, very uncool, album I Am Not Cool (Aug. 20^th, State Fair Records), well, that kind of uncool is... cool?
 
The album is the follow-up to Norwood’s much-praised 2017 debut record Longshot.
 
In addition to Norwood’s genial ability to say things you may not want to hear and leave you appreciating the experience, he is also masterful at a kind of tongue-in-cheek levity that is sorely missing from this genre.
 
There’s only two kinds of music / What’s true and what ain’t / It only takes three chords to set the record straight
 
Norwood sings these lyrics on the “I Am Not Cool” title cut, a perfect example of how his economy of words is quizzical, meta, and puts a smile on your face all at the same time.
 
But, wait, there’s more.
 
Norwood really gets going on the album’s second single “I Need You (To Quit Breaking My Heart),” which is such a plainly evocative song title that other songwriters should be shaking a fist in Norwood’s general direction for thinking of it first. A universal sentiment succinctly stated.
 
“It’s a 10-year marriage kind of love song,” he says of the tune, and as if to hammer that description home, Norwood’s wife Carrie joins him on vocals, which adds a whole new level of “what is going on here?!” to the proceedings.
 
Further on, “Good Guy With A Gun” will remind listeners of the political rhetoric it references, but is more tragically tied to the songs from Norwood’s debut album, which dove head-first into his very personal story of growing up as a child of a father who died by his own hand.
 
“This song is about that,” he explains, “But more than that it’s about the ridiculous theory that the NRA likes to tout. The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun? My dad was a good guy with a gun, so how were we supposed to stop him from killing himself?”
 
Once again, it is astounding how Norwood is able to take such personal matters, write about them with conviction and clarity, make it catchy and memorable, and make you feel like you challenged yourself and had a chuckle all at once.
 
Uncool? Hmm.
 
Frankly, Norwood says that claiming himself “uncool” may be an awful career move. “I’ll either make it or break it as uncool Chris J Norwood,” he opines on the topic.
 
But, the thing is, Norwood’s work is righteous no matter how it is perceived by anyone who makes judgments about “career moves.” This brand of vulnerable, self-effacing songwriting, salted with a bit of required brainpower... it’s unique. And it’s here to stay.
 
Maybe the J stands for “justified?”
 
I Am Not Cool, the second album by Chris J Norwood arrives via State Fair Records on Aug. 20^th, preceded by the singles “I Am Not Cool” (May 21^st), “I Need You (To Quit Breaking My Heart)” (June 18^th), and “Good Guy With A Gun” (July 23^rd.)
  
Chris J Norwood is available for interviews. Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.
 
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Chris J Norwood | Links
 
ASSETS : WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : INSTAGRAM : YOUTUBE : BANDCAMP : SPOTIFY : APPLE : STATE FAIR RECORDS
 
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Josh Bloom at Fanatic Promotion | Contact
 
WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : INSTAGRAM : YOUTUBE : SOUNDCLOUD : SPOTIFY : BLOG : E-MAIL