Monthly Archives: July 2018

Reviews

Album Review: Kenny Chesney–Songs For The Saints

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Rating: 8/10

*All proceeds from the sale of Songs for the Saints will go to hurricane relief for the people of St. John*

Yes, Kenny Chesney has made a career largely out of setting the island life of his home on St. John to music. There are two sides to this coin, though: the side with carefree anthems like “No Shoes, NO Shirt, NO Problems,” and the side with the beautiful, introspective songs like “Old Blue Chair.” There will always be Chesney detractors and people who just don’t like beach songs, but for this listener, he hasn’t been a problem in the mainstream by any means until recently. with his last couple albums, Chesney has just not really been himself, much of the material just being bland and lacking substance. I wrote a piece in 2017 about mainstream artists I wished would just get back to being themselves as Brad Paisley had done on Love and War. Dierks Bentley did this on The Mountain, while Keith Urban released one of the worst albums I’ve ever heard with Graffiti U and continued to destroy his credibility and legacy. Kenny chesney joins Paisley and Bentley, making a substantive, smart, and introspective album and returning to what made him great in the first place. If you weren’t a fan of Kenny or beach songs before, this record isn’t going to change your mind, but if you’ve been a fan previously and have become disappointed by his recent output, this is a really nice return to form. It’s the album you want from Kenny Chesney and certainly one of the best mainstream releases of 2018 so far.

That introspective side to his style dominates this record. Chesney was shaken after Hurricane Irma devastated St. John in 2017, flying in medical supplies and aiding in the relief effort while he worked on this album. His kinship with the place and people inspired this project; the “saints” are the people of St. John, resilient and faithful to rebuild after the devastation. This record is a story of hope and perseverance, and Chesney’s love for these people and this island is on full display here. You can tell by listening that he is deeply affected, and the resultant songs are wistful and thoughtful rather than fluffy beach fare. As mentioned above, all proceeds from Songs for the Saints will go toward disaster relief for the people of St. John.

It takes a bit for this album to hit its stride. There’s nothing inherently bad on this record, but the only really great moment of the first five tracks is “Pirate song,” a rambling song like so many others, yet focused on sailing the seas rather than life on the road drifting from town to town. “Get along” is admittedly much better here than it was as a single, and I’ll gladly take back my words in context of the album. The whole record has this carefree, relaxed vibe, and the introspection of “Get Along,” though still lightweight compared to some of the rest of these songs, does fit in here rather well. This first half is already an improvement for Chesney, but it’s definitely the weaker half of the project.

It’s at track 6, with the cover of Lord Huron’s “Ends of the Earth,” where the album really hits its sweet spot, going from something decent and fun to something really wonderful. This song captures that rambling, drifting sentiment first introduced in “Pirate song,” and the production really adds something special to it. The song slowly builds throughout, from relaxed and content to determined and intense; that moment when the drums come in at the first chorus is one of my favorite musical moments of 2018. This was an excellent selection for Kenny Chesney to cover.

Kenny’s penchant for selecting great songs continues with “Gulf Moon,” a song written and previously recorded by Texas songwriter John Baumann, whose latest record Proving Grounds was one of the best of 2017, coming in at #10 on my year-end album list. “Gulf Moon” has all the earmarks of a John Baumann tune, rife with description and detail, from the bartender who “works the jar with a discount flirt, a faded Houston Oilers shirt” to describing the night sky as “the black expanse where the stars flicker and planets dance.” If you’re stumbling onto this song as a Chesney fan, please go check out John Baumann. The same is true for Travis Meadows, who co-wrote the album closer, “Better Boat” with Liz Rose. Meadows’ version came on the 2017 record First Cigarette, which reached #13 on the year-end list here. ON Meadows’ album, this song of overcoming adversity and learning to ride the waves in the storms of life reflected the themes of nostalgia and determination permeating that record; on Chesney’s album, with the references to boats and waves and the gentle harmonies of Mindy Smith, (Mindy Smith, by the way, not some mid-level pop star), it becomes a standout and a fitting conclusion to this statement. And you can’t argue with the selection of Jimmy Buffett’s wistful “Trying to reason with Hurricane season” and the decision to feature Buffett on this version.

Even among the lighter songs, there’s substance and depth. “Island Rain” uses the metaphor of that elusive phenomenon, here and gone in five minutes’ time, to illustrate the passing of life’s troubles, all your worry being washed away by the cleansing rain. “Every Heart” compares all of us to islands, shipwrecked and searching out in the wind for life’s answers. There’s a thread of hope and resiliency running through this whole thing that is so uplifting and encouraging.

I don’t think this album is going to create new Kenny Chesney apologists, except maybe those John Baumann fans checking out this recording of “Gulf Moon,” but it is the album to turn back those hesitant Chesney fans who were disappointed by his more recent releases. Similar to Brothers Osborne’s latest album, this record captures the islands and beaches in a way that’s thoughtful and introspective. It’s beachy, yes, but in the way of the locals, not in the way of the tourists who flock to the islands when the weather is right. This is an album of the people who call this place their home, who see the other side of the ocean’s beauty when the storms come and destroy homes and claim lives, and yet still have the courage to rebuild because this place is in their blood. It’s in the heart and soul of Kenny Chesney, and Songs for the Saints is him wearing his heart on his sleeve. This is one of his strongest and most personal records to date.

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Random Reflections

Reflecting on: Turnpike Troubadours–Goodbye Normal Street

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Brianna and I are both huge fans of Turnpike, and between the two of us, we’ve managed to cover, either via a review or a reflection, each of their other three albums still in print. I’ve also covered their live shows. It seemed fitting to explore this album and complete the picture, especially since they’ve been so important to both of us.

Release Date: 2012

Style: Red Dirt

People Who Might Like This album: Red Dirt fans, those who love strong songwriting mixed with lively, upbeat instrumentation

Standout Tracks: “Gin, Smoke, Lies,” “Before the devil Knows We’re Dead,” “Good Lord Lorrie,” “Call a Spade a Spade,” “empty as a drum,” “Quit While I’m Ahead”

Reflections: It says so much about this band that we would want to feature all their albums here, for this is such a broad category that we only feature stuff we consider to be really great in our reflections. It’s meant to be more of a personal thing for each of us rather than an exploration of “classic” albums. Turnpike’s self-titled record from 2015 is my favorite and won our album of the Year, while Brianna prefers Diamonds & Gasoline and their latest, A Long Way From Your Heart. But unlike other artists where you search through a few good albums to pick one for a reflection and automatically throw out the rest, all of Turnpike’s material is good enough to be featured. And Goodbye Normal Street has its own special things that connect me with it.

“Gin, Smoke, Lies” is the first Turnpike song I ever heard, the one that immediately made me a fan. It shows off the strength of Turnpike, their ability to craft really genius lyrics while also making catchy songs. Their instrumentation, especially their propensity for fiddle, is one of my favorite things. “Before The devil Knows We’re dead” is a song about dying doing the things you love, and it’s somehow made happy because of the way they perform it, with fiddle and electric guitar running free. To all of you out there, take serious note: this is the song I want played at my funeral, not some hymn or tear-jerker; this is a celebration of life, and what a way to go, as Evan Felker sings: “Let’s leave the world laughin’ when our eulogies are read.”

When I was listening to this for this piece, I was stunned by the beauty in “Quit While I’m ahead,” a song I’ve played countless times before but have never completely noticed. It speaks again to the fact that people can listen to this band just for the music and the melodies and all that fiddle and never even pay attention to the songwriting genius. It’s the depth of writing of someone like Jason Isbell, but given to us in a way that’s more accessible and fun. And not to mention more country; they do blend country with rock as is common to Red Dirt, but a song like the duet with Jamie Lin Wilson, “Call a Spade a spade,” can’t be mistaken for anything other than three chords and the truth.

And for all you Turnpike enthusiasts and Lorrie apologists, looking to connect that Browning shotgun and those logging roads and piece together the story of this unforgettable character, she makes her first appearance here in “Good Lord Lorrie.” It’s a great song on its own, but now, in light of their more recent songs with references to her, it becomes even more intriguing, and essential listening for those trying to solve the mystery.

It’s so great to say that we’ve written about all the Turnpike albums still in wide circulation. It’s wonderful that their output has been so strong, not to mention significant to both Brianna and myself. Goodbye Normal Street completes the puzzle, at least until they grace us with a new record. That day cannot come soon enough.

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Commentary

On This Eric Church and Gun Control Business

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I’m a Second Amendment guy … That’s in the Constitution, it’s people’s right, and I don’t believe it’s negotiable. But nobody should have that many guns and that much ammunition and we don’t know about it. Nobody should have 21 AKs and 10,000 rounds of ammunition and we don’t know who they are. Something’s gotta be done so that a person can’t have an armory and pin down a Las Vegas SWAT team for six minutes. That’s fucked up.

These words came from Eric Church in a recent interview with Rolling stone when he was asked if his feelings about guns had changed after the Las Vegas shooting. Church goes on to say, when asked why he thinks nothing has been done:

I blame the lobbyists. And the biggest in the gun world is the NRA. … I’m a Second Amendment guy, … but I feel like they’ve been a bit of a roadblock. I don’t care who you are – you shouldn’t have that kind of power over elected officials. To me it’s cut-and-dried: The gun-show [loophole] would not exist if it weren’t for the NRA, so at this point in time, if I was an NRA member, I would think I had more of a problem than the solution. I would question myself real hard about what I wanted to be in the next three, four, five years. … I don’t care [about the blowback from fans]. Right’s right and wrong’s wrong. I don’t understand why we have to fear a group [like the NRA]. It’s asinine. Why can’t we come together and solve one part of this? Start with the bump stocks and the gun shows. Shut a couple of these down. I do think that will matter a little bit. I think it will save some lives.

That blowback from Eric Church fans has come in spades, particularly on social media, where fans are boycotting the singer’s music for not standing with the NRA, and others are in the “artists should shut up and sing” mindset. The beautiful and ironic thing about this is that any true fan of Eric Church, or anyone who read the article, would know Church doesn’t give a damn whether these people agree with him or not. But the bigger problem is the overwhelming way we continue to let politics divide us, and seep into the world of music which is an art form that can bring us all together and cross all political and cultural lines.

First of all, isn’t it sad that we’ve become a society which seeks out the political commentary in whatever we’re reading while simultaneously ignoring everything else? Eric Church does an interview here about Garth Brooks’ decision to lip sync at the 2017 CMA Awards, a major surgery and near-death experience, and the organic nature of country music, yet all anyone can discuss is his political comments. Shania Twain did an interview recently where she opened up about her childhood and horrific instances of abuse, and all anyone could talk about was her comment at the end saying that she understood why people would vote for Trump. But focusing on Church, even among the political stuff, he discusses Trump, immigration, and most notably, his unwillingness to vote for either side in 2016 and distrust of any politician. Yet for all these so-called fans, nothing matters except his stances on gun control.

And by the way, Eric Church didn’t make some radical statement about banning guns; he emphasized support for the right to bear arms. There are people on the opposite side of this debate, especially in the media, who have charged country artists with stronger positions on gun control to come out and speak on the issue. Maybe this reaction from Church’s fans will explain why they don’t. No artist should have to speak on any issue he or she doesn’t want to, and by the same token, every artist has the right to free speech and free thought, and every artist is a human being with their own ideologies. NO one should be obligated to take a certain political stance, but no one should be told to “shut up and sing.”

To Eric Church fans specifically, if you’re giving up his music because of his politics or his willingness to stand up for his beliefs, you had no grasp on Eric Church as an artist or a person in the first place. He’s made a career out of speaking his mind and going against the grain. And as music fans in general, how sad it would be to limit our tastes in music based on the artists’ politics; Jason Isbell wrote my 2017 song of the Year, but should I boycott his music because I don’t agree with a lot of his politics? The inability to separate Eric Church or any artist from a political viewpoint says more about the fan than the artist, for it signals that these fans are not really free thinkers capable of opening their minds. And whether or not you agree with Church, he’s being a free thinker here, not swayed by society or what people might think of his opinions.

Finally, music and other forms of artistic expression have a power like nothing else to bring people together. Artists like the aforementioned Isbell or the notoriously outspoken Sturgill Simpson may choose to use their music to speak about their politics. Others may use it as an escape from the ugly, divisive world that surrounds us. Music is above such things as people’s political views, and it’s the one thing that can draw us all together. Eric Church even speaks of this in his interview, a point that many have either not read or chosen to filter out of their brains for the sake of their own agendas, stating that he loves that the people who come to his shows are from many different backgrounds and cultures and hold all kinds of political viewpoints, but in that space, they are all united. That is what we should have taken from his interview if nothing else–that music holds the power to heal our divisive culture, and it’s a shame that so many are using his words to pull us further and further apart.

Reviews

Album Review: El Coyote (self-titled)

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Rating: 7/10

Isn’t country music a beautiful thing? Just in the last three reviews, we’ve found it in Kentucky, (Rhyan Sinclair), Oregon, (Wes Youssi & the County Champs), and Massachusetts (Lori McKenna.) Country music can stir the hearts and minds of anyone from anywhere, and to those who think it can only originate in the American South and West to be considered “authentic,” you’re only limiting yourself and keeping yourself from good music. Country music is not about a place, it’s about a spirit, and sometimes, especially in 2018, we must seek out that spirit all over America and the world in order to find those within whom the passion for country music still lingers.

Today, our search takes us to Montreal, Canada, to a group known as El Coyote, one of the few groups left keeping the country tradition of three-part female harmonies alive. I noted when discussing the Trio record recently that El Coyote, along with many of these current groups, is more a folk effort than a country one, and that especially rings true of the lyrical content here. But the arrangements are definitely more simple and country-leaning than what you’ll find from others, and you’ll hear steel guitar and dobro in healthy amounts on this record. There’s also a little Latin flavor in these guitar licks, giving a bit of context to the name El coyote. The strength, though, is definitely the melodies and the beautiful harmonies of Angela Desveaux, Michelle Tompkins, and Katie Moore. Listening to this album through headphones or stereo speakers where you can more easily hear each element of the harmony is highly recommended; it is flawless, and although each of them takes the lead on certain tracks, none of them seem like a “lead singer” more than the others. Rather, much like the Trio record, which I also happened to be spinning while contemplating this album, it seems to be a case of three great singers making something together that is even better than the sum of their parts or what any of them could have achieved on their own.

The songwriting here is subtle and reveals itself with more listens; in this aspect, the group leans more toward the folk end of the spectrum. But it’s hard not to appreciate a song like “lighten up Diane,” where the narrator is the other woman who’s finally become disenchanted with the facade of her relationship. The song is framed so well with the opening verse speaking of how she always seems to be late for things, and how she’ll have no pictures in her photo album to capture the passing of time. It doesn’t make a lot of sense until we learn she’s the other woman, and then it becomes genius songwriting–she’s too late to have this man in the proper sense, and she won’t have any photos of them together because their love has been a secret, so it won’t even look real to everyone else. The melodies and especially the harmonies draw you in on this record long before the lyrics, but the beauty in the writing continues to reveal itself with each subsequent listen.

The biggest criticism people will have for this is that it can be sleepy. Ironically, the album’s only lively tune, “Tip Jar,” really draws attention to this. Their voices are so suited for the softer, more introspective stuff that it’s almost a surprise when “Tip Jar’ makes its appearance as the sixth track, and the group sings about being tired of life “sleepin’ when everyone’s workin’, workin’ when everyone’s livin’ it up.” drums are also a rare occurrence on this album, so when they come in here, they provide a nice moment of energy. “Tip Jar” is an album highlight and proves they can pull off more upbeat songs very well. Consequently, it makes me wish they’d have gone this direction a bit more; I like the songs here, but the main thing that keeps this album a good one instead of a great one is just that it’s too sleepy, a bit too safe. It’s a debut, and I’d like to see them up the tempo some on a future record.

As it is, though, this is one of those albums that’s perfect on a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon. It’s a mood record, and if you’re a fan of the softer, more relaxed stuff like this, you’ll really enjoy it, probably more so than me. And if you are starved for the sounds of three-part female harmony backed by more country-sounding instrumentation, this is certainly a good place to turn. It will be sleepy for some, but it’s a good, solid foundation for El Coyote to build on, especially in an area of country which is currently so underappreciated.

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Reviews

Album Review: Lori McKenna–The Tree

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Rating: 10/10

We can debate all day long about the styles and sounds of country music, whether it needs fiddle and steel to fit in the genre, and which modern artists are carrying the sound forward in progressive ways rather than just killing it on the vine. But one thing we can probably all agree on, and the thing that I’ve heard most from people on all sides of the genre debate, is that country music is real. It’s about life, and life is not always happy. IN fact, life is incredibly hard, and country music is important to so many because it embodies that spirit, telling the stories of real people and situations, and providing an empathy in the midst of our own struggles that works far better to heal the soul than songs of escape. That is not to discourage those songs either–in fact, brothers Osborne made a great record this year that works despite its lightweight lyrics and party themes because it provides a moment of peace and levity in the broken world in which we live. But there are also times when we need to know someone else has been through the same things and can understand our pain, and country music has a way unlike any other genre of capturing that truth and empathy and providing comfort to its listeners.

Lori McKenna is desperate to find that truth, stating in the opening lines of “Like Patsy would,” the closer to this album, “If it comes from the whiskey, then pour me a drink. If it comes from the heartache, let me feel the sting. If it comes from the spirits, set ’em loose in this room.” These words are the thesis of this whole project, as she sets out to carry on the traditions of country music by immortalizing the stories of real people. She’s an expert at this familiarity, taking the most mundane topics on the surface and then adding her unique, vivid details to make timeless stories that can relate to us all. Because of that, it’s imperative to give this album a few listens because every time, you will find new words and phrases that make these songs come alive. McKenna’s subtlety reminds me of the writing style of Jason Eady, for his turns of phrase are sneaky, and there’s always something hidden, waiting to be discovered and treasured. “A Mother Never Rests,” the simple opener and ode to motherhood, is elevated by the little details Lori throws in, like the nightlight being left on so that even the sun can set; the mother rarely sits down, but since she provided the light, even the sun can rest awhile. “The fixer” might not be a standout on your first couple listens because if you miss a phrase or two, the whole thing isn’t as poignant, but when you catch the lines about the “fixer” leaving ginger ale on the nightstand for his sick wife and then busying himself with some household project that he can control because he can’t fix her, and she’s too tired to even sip the drink, you can feel that pain. She’s referred to as “the fighter,” doing battle just to sit in her chair in the yard and praying for a miracle despite believing she can’t be fixed. And “The lot Behind St. Mary’s” becomes an incredibly special song of nostalgia and lost love when McKenna utters lines like, “I know you wonder why we can’t get back to When September was our only adversary.” On an album full of excellent songs, this one is definitely a highlight.

There’s the perfect amount of levity and hope sprinkled in as well, making this able to be replayed and keeping it from being a depressing listen despite the serious nature of most of these tracks. “Young and Angry Again” fits with the themes of nostalgia on the record, but it’s upbeat and catchy, and told in such a way that younger people can relate as well, not just people looking back on the good old days. As a 26-year-old, I appreciate when I can relate to a song like this because it shows Lori McKenna’s talent as a writer and an interpreter. “Happy People” was one of my least favorite songs on Little Big town’s last record, but Lori’s own version is more heartfelt and serves as a much-needed lighter moment on this project. “The Way Back Home” admittedly comes off as “Humble and Kind Part 2,” and I wanted to dislike it, but again, her details win out; when she sings about keeping a Bible by your bed like “headlights coming up the road” and getting back to whichever backyard you came from when you’re feeling lost, it’s impossible not to appreciate this song.

Dave Cobb did another fine job with this as well, neither overproducing McKenna and losing her lyrics in unnecessary arrangements like on Ashley Monroe’s album nor leaving Lori alone to hold our attention on her own. The lyrics are the main focus, and most of these songs are driven by acoustic guitar, but there’s always enough instrumentation to keep anything from being bare or minimalist. A producer shines when he or she enhances the artist and at the same time doesn’t draw attention to the production in lieu of that artist, and Cobb succeeds very well here.

As I said on Twitter, this album gets better and better like a fine wine. The Tree wasn’t a 10/10 for me on first listen, and I encourage you to give this several spins. The writing of Lori McKenna is subtle, and it’s absolutely full of hidden little details. But it’s those details which set her apart as a writer and emotive interpreter, and the more you uncover, the more there is to love about this record. It’s simple and relatable, taking real life and turning it into something magical and poetic. It’s everything that country music stands for, and a mark of the best songwriters.

Three chords and the truth. Fantastic record.

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