To let a cat out of the bag supposedly means letting something slip, like a secret. But for BILL KIRCHEN, it means escape, as in freedom — from confinement, convention … even gravity. Freedom to hit the road and play rock ‘n’ roll. That’s the energy driving the title track of Kirchen’s new album, Cat Out of the Bag, which showcases the six-string master — dubbed Titan of the Telecaster by Guitar Player magazine — at his gusto-grabbing best.

“That’s a good-to-be-alive song,” says Kirchen of the album’s opening track. “It’s a celebration of getting through the worst of the pandemic unscathed, getting back on the road and affirming our belief that the kids are alright.” The first track, “Cat Out of the Bag” is available now as a digital single.

The Austin-based guitarist, singer and songwriter confirms his lust for life — and offers up his lyrically referenced “rock ’n’ roll soul” — in several songs exhibiting the rockabilly-meets-honky-tonk style that earned him his “titan” status (as well as a Best Country Instrumental Performance Grammy nomination for the chicken-pickin’ song, “Poultry in Motion”).

Cat Out of the Bag is also a declaration of freedom from the confines of his past. He wanted to explore new sounds, find new approaches… and he did.

“This album has the broadest scope yet of any of the dozen or so I’ve done in my own name,” he says. “A bigger palette of genres, songwriting, guitar work.” Amid the vibrancy of uptempo songs such as the title tune, the rollicking “Honky-Tonk Hellfire” and “City Mix” (with its “hillbilly licks”), there is also more downbeat fare, both thematically and musically.