James Robert Webb “Weekend Outlaw” (LP) 

If you’ve ever driven with the windows down on a Friday night, FM radio cranked, and your mind set on shaking off the workweek, James Robert Webb’s Weekend Outlaw is already speaking your language. As a modern country radio DJ, I listen for more than just slick production or catchy hooks—I listen for the fit. Does a track have the bones to sit between Morgan Wallen and Cody Johnson and still make its own mark? This album answers with a confident “Hell yes.”

URL: https://www.jamesrobertwebb.com/

From the moment “Gentlemen Start Your Weekends” hits the airwaves, it’s clear Webb knows how to get listeners revved up. “So fire those engines up, let’s have a little fun,” he sings—and it’s more than a lyric; it’s a mantra for everyone clocking out and gearing up for the night. The production has a gritty shine, the beat pounds like boot heels on a barroom floor, and the chorus explodes in that sweet spot between honky tonk and highway-ready anthem. This is the kind of song you want in heavy rotation right as the sun dips low on a Friday.

But what makes Weekend Outlaw a true radio goldmine is its range. Webb isn’t just playing to partygoers—he’s writing for the lovers, the dreamers, and the blue-collar backbone of America. Take “Ride or Die.” With lines like “Two wild hearts beating out of control / Hard to be humble with her hair in the wind,” it’s pure motorcycle poetry—freedom on two wheels, wrapped in romance and revved-up emotion. It’s got that sexy outlaw energy that makes couples crank it up and sing along.

Then there’s “Lost in Vega$,” which might be the album’s sleeper hit. It’s playful, flirty, and catchy as hell. The hook—“I wanna go go go get lost / Lost in Las Vegas with you”—is ready-made for singalongs, and its upbeat tempo makes it perfect for midday spins or summer playlist add-ons. Webb paints Vegas not as a place for excess, but as a metaphor for love that takes chances. That kind of messaging is what turns casual listeners into loyal fans.

He flips the script again with “Local Participatin’ Honky Tonk,” which is a radio DJ’s dream: tongue-in-cheek, clever, and instantly relatable. It’s packed with quotables like “Where the Bud is red and Bud Light’s blue / They’ve got 2-for-1’s from 10 ’til 2,” and it lands with charm and authenticity. This is prime time drive-time material—fun without being dumb, nostalgic without being stale.

But Webb saves some of his most affecting work for the album’s back end. “Adore” and “She’s Not You” aren’t just love songs—they’re confessionals. These tracks show Webb’s softer, more vulnerable side, and they’re the kind of slower spins that work well in late-night programming or weekend acoustic sets. His voice carries emotional weight without ever getting maudlin, which makes these songs resonate even deeper.

In a radio landscape that’s crowded with soundalikes and trend-hoppers, Weekend Outlaw is a breath of fresh, twang-scented air. It’s got tempo. It’s got soul. It’s got hooks that hit. James Robert Webb brings old-school sensibilities with new-school polish, and the result is an album that DJs love spinning and listeners want to hear again and again.

Bottom line? This record is built for radio. But more importantly—it’s built for country people. And that’s what makes Weekend Outlaw a standout in today’s crowded country scene.

Mark Druery