SHAWGO

Gene Engene’s vocal style and Western cadences are perfectly suited to Rhodes’s “aw-shucks-style” Western, set in Texas. As hostile Indians and Comancheros, rustlers, and murderers terrorize West Texas, Shawgo and the rest of the Texas Rangers protect the law-abiding citizens who are trying to live safe and happy lives. Engene portrays the many male characters easily and comfortably though he struggles to find a credible female voice for Hannah, the woman Shawgo saves from the Indians. Engene excels in delivering the emotional nuances that lie beneath the characters’ thoughts, words, and actions. As he reads with an enchanting drawl, listeners will imagine an old cowboy is spinning them an exciting yarn. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2011]