Rusty Reid has spent decades writing songs that prioritize feeling over flash. Born in Midland, Texas and now based near Seattle, he describes himself as a songwriter first, a singer second, and a musician somewhere further down the list. That honesty about craft is what makes his output interesting, and it is exactly the sensibility that makes him the right person to take on Alchemist, the Zack Kibodeaux composition that appears as the second single from his covers album Lone Stardust: Masterworks of Texas Songwriters.
The album’s premise is itself a curatorial statement. Reid is not reaching back for the obvious Texas classics. By including Kibodeaux’s Alchemist, a relatively newer composition from Blue Water Highway’s 2019 album Paper Airplanes, he is making the argument that great Texas songwriting is still being written right now and deserves the same attention as its predecessors. That is a genuinely interesting position for a covers record to take.
The Cover
Kibodeaux’s original is built around the image of an alchemist trying to make gold from their own contradictions, mixing wrong and right in the dark, observing the patterns of their ups and downs, searching for the missing element. It is quietly profound songwriting, the kind that rewards attentive reading without announcing its depth.
Reid’s approach is patience and restraint. Rather than simply recreating what Blue Water Highway made, he allows the lyrical depth to unfold naturally while surrounding it with rich, cinematic textures. His warm, weathered vocals carry the emotional weight of the lyrics with quiet conviction, and his acoustic and electric guitar work provides a grounded foundation for the song’s evolving soundscape.
The collaboration with Mumbai-based multi-instrumentalist Rohit Bhusan is the production’s standout element. Bhusan contributes atmospheric keyboards, layered guitars, bass, drums, and percussion that add remarkable depth without crowding the arrangement. The production carefully balances folk authenticity with ambient rock influences, creating an immersive listening experience that feels contemporary without losing its roots.
The Space in It
What makes this version particularly compelling is its sense of space. Every instrument has room to breathe, allowing the emotional nuances of the songwriting to resonate fully. The subtle build throughout the track rewards attentive listening, revealing new textures with each revisit. This is music that does not show you everything at once, and that restraint is precisely what makes it worth returning to.
The result honors Kibodeaux’s original while confidently establishing its own identity. This is not imitation. It is interpretation, which is a significantly harder thing to pull off and a significantly more interesting thing to listen to.
The Verdict
Alchemist is a beautifully crafted reinterpretation that is equal parts indie folk, atmospheric rock, and Americana. It showcases both the strength of Zack Kibodeaux’s songwriting and Reid’s talent for uncovering fresh emotional landscapes within exceptional songs. As part of Lone Stardust, it also demonstrates something worth noting: an artist whose appreciation for songwriting extends well beyond nostalgia.
The missing element is the one you never stop looking for. Rusty Reid sounds like someone who knows that firsthand, and this cover sounds like the evidence.
Alchemist is out now on Northern Latitudes Records. The second single from Lone Stardust: Masterworks of Texas Songwriters. Find Rusty Reid at rustyreid.com.
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