Holy hell, Rusty Reid has done it again. The Pacific Northwest troubadour isn’t messing around with his latest cut from Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters), and let me tell you—”Alchemist” hits like a cargo train with a busted brake line.
Now, Reid dug deep into the Texas songwriting vault and pulled out this absolute scorcher from Zack Kibodeaux of Blue Water Highway. And while the original is pure magic, Reid and his Mumbai-based wingman Rohit Bhusan have completely flipped the script on this one.
Bhusan’s handling keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, AND percussion on this cut—talk about a one-man wrecking crew, while Reid’s on acoustic and electric guitar duties too, weaving between strummed passages and these searing electric licks that’ll make you wanna crank it to eleven. The rhythm section pounds away while those atmospheric keyboards swirl around Reid’s vocals like smoke in a dive bar. The chemistry between these two is undeniable, bridging Seattle to Mumbai with pure fire.
Reid described it as hitting “the holy trinity” of great songwriting, and brother, he ain’t wrong. This track showcases everything that makes Lone Stardust such a killer concept—taking these Texas-connected tunes and injecting them with fresh blood. Where other covers play it safe, Reid and Bhusan went for the throat.
If this is what happens when Rusty Reid dips into the Texas songbook, keep ’em coming. “Alchemist” proves that great songs transcend geography—and when you’ve got players this locked in, magic happens. Turn it up. Feel it in your chest. This one’s a keeper.