Random Reflections

Reflecting on: Ashley Monroe–Satisfied

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In honor of Ashley Monroe’s fourth album release Friday, it seems fitting to discuss her long-lost debut, Satisfied. I could have chosen Like a Rose, which is one of my three favorite albums of all time, but this one has been overlooked and mishandled since its conception, so it’s this one I’ll highlight.

Style: traditional country

People Who Might Like This Album: fans of Like a Rose, fans of Lee Ann Womack, and just generally people starving for that traditional sound in modern country music

Standout Tracks: “Used,” “Hank’s Cadillac,” “Make Room at the Bottom,” “I Don’t Wanna Be,” “Let me Down Again”

Reflections: If you’ve read more than one of these, you’ll immediately say: “Why no release date?” Well, I’m looking at this album on Apple Music now, and I’m confronted with three different versions of Satisfied with three different release dates and yes, three different track listings. The original, limited release of this came out in 2006, and even that isn’t one of the three listed here, as that contained the single “I Don’t Want To” with Ronnie Dunn; if you got that version, you’re lucky because that song seems to not exist anywhere for purchase now. (And someone please correct me if I’m wrong about that because I’d really like a copy of “I Don’t Want To,” by the way.)

Ashley was dropped from her label in 2007, and the album was largely unreleased. It became available again in 2009 as a digital download. That version has a twelfth track in place of “I Don’t Want To” called “Promised Land,” and that version is probably the most well-known. There’s the original minus “I Don’t Want To,” as well as another version with a twelfth track known as “I Can’t Unlove You.” You see why I say this record has been mishandled–in fact, in 2013, when Monroe’s career had been revitalized after the success of Pistol Annies enough for her to be signed and release Like a Rose, some called that album her debut. It reflects both ignorance about the artist and perhaps embarrassment that such a talent was forsaken in this way. I’ve even seen Sparrow referred to in places as her third album, and I just think it’s a travesty to let this debut go unrecognized.

It was ignored and Ashley was dropped partly because it was so traditional, but more so because of the depth of emotion reflected in her songs. Monroe talks of taking “Used,” a song about literally being used like a worn-out, faded dress where “the fabric has been torn,” to radio stations where she moved DJ’s to tears, some even saying they wished they could play it, but it wouldn’t fit with the format. Thankfully, a different version of “Used” was recorded for Like a Rose, so that song has seen the wider reception it deserves. Monroe was only nineteen, but she’d lost her father six years prior to the recording of this debut, and much of it reflects that sorrow. It’s only someone who has lived through heartbreak who can make a song like “Make Room at the Bottom,” a pretty simple track lyrically, come to life because of the depth of emotion in each syllable. That same sorrow is displayed on “He Ain’t Coming Back” and in a different way on “Hank’s Cadillac,” as she expresses that she would have kept Hank Williams Sr. from dying if she’d been there that night. She’d have helped him to sober up and played his songs on the radio, and the world wouldn’t have lost him so early.

There are lighter moments here as well, like “Pain Pain” and the Dwight Yoakam duet “That’s why we Call Each Other Baby.” I don’t want to paint Monroe or this album into some sort of dark, depressing corner. But it’s her ability to express pain because she lived it that makes her special as an artist, that came out on these songs and ultimately hurt the performance of this album, and which still survives today on this forgotten record and deserves to be heard. I’m sorry Nashville treated this album so badly, but at least it’s in our hands now, and we can hear the debut from an artist many of us have come to love.

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Reviews

Album Review: Jason Aldean–Rearview Town

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Rating: 6/10

I can sense the number of readers/followers I’m about to upset or outright lose with this take on Jason Aldean, and on the surface, I understand. It’s easy to hear the name Jason Aldean and think “Dirt Road Anthem” and resent him for his introduction of rap into the mainstream. It’s easy to think of the even more atrocious “1994,” a stain on the country genre and really all of music that I wish I could forget. But Aldean’s also given us songs like “The Truth,” “Fly Over States,” and “Amarillo Sky.” He’s released “Night Train,” separating himself from his counterparts by singing a song with the same themes but with more detailed and clever imagery. More than that, he’s always included solid, even stellar album cuts. He’s a frustrating artist because it’s hard not to wonder why he keeps those good songs buried, but at the same time, he’s refreshingly consistent. When you press play on a Jason Aldean record, you know what you’re getting–some forgettable or even awful singles and some truly great gems to go along with them. Aldean’s never going to blow you away with his songwriting or give you any profound revelations, but that’s not what you come to a Jason Aldean record for anyway, and if he were the worst thing on country radio, we honestly wouldn’t have much to complain about anymore.

It’s because on a Jason Aldean album, there is consistent balance. I don’t want to speak for stricter traditionalists out there, but most of us are simply advocating for balance. Most of us don’t have a problem with pop country or even modern influences per se, but our issue lies in the fact that this music is the only option and eradicating the traditional and the substantive in the mainstream. Aldean’s not offering traditional, but his records do provide a balance of substance, and that makes it easier to tolerate the crap.

On the substantive side of this record, we have several standouts. That’s another consistent thing about aldean; when he’s good, he’s pretty great. One highlight is the collaboration with Miranda Lambert called “Drowns the Whiskey,” taking the classic country heartbreak song and making it fresh and modern. I do wish we heard Miranda a bit more–I always prefer these things when the featured artist actually has some solo lines instead of just providing harmonies–but she’s actually distinctive, gets more than one or two obligatory lines, and imagine this, is actually a country star instead of some random pop princess. There’s also some pretty substantial steel in this track, which is always an added bonus.

The title track and “Blacktop Gone” frame this song in the heart of the album, and together, these three create the strongest portion of the record. “Blacktop Gone” and “Rearview Town” are mirror images of each other, each reflecting the same theme of leaving a one-horse town and each delivered in the same key, like two halves of the same thought. “Blacktop Gone” is the lighter version, with the narrator seeming to leave this town in good spirits simply because he’s looking for freedom and a new life. It seems to be something he’s always wanted to do, as if he never had any intention of staying here longer than was necessary. The title track is a more melancholy picture, with our narrator deeply affected by having to leave. He knows he can’t make it in this town, and memories also haunt him, but he still hates to leave it behind–“never thought I’d ever leave it.”

“Better at Being Who I Am” provides another great moment lyrically, as well as what feels like a very real moment for Aldean, depicting a character who is breaking it off with a lover because they’re just too different. He’s better on his side of the tracks and being himself; “The square peg, round hole things’ too hard.” “High Noon Neon” also portrays the classic country breakup song in a more modern way, much like “Drowns the Whiskey.” I can only guess why electronic production is his choice on these songs and really on much of this record, as he usually veers toward arena rock, but both of these tracks suffer from overproduction and from generally not sounding sonically like Jason aldean. That said, they’re still two of the strongest lyrically. The arena rock style is displayed on “I’ll Wait For You” to decent effect to convey the desperation in this particular song, and although I’m not the greatest “You Make it Easy” apologist, finding it more boring than anything, it can be counted on the more substantive half as well.

The thing about the other half of this and about Jason aldean as an artist is even when it’s not great, it’s mostly believable. Aldean sings with conviction and passion, and it’s hard to call him inauthentic. I know that word’s been misused and manipulated to death by mainstream and independent crowds alike, but the point is that Jason Aldean genuinely sounds like a guy who’s set foot in some rearview towns and gotten drunk on some tailgates. He appeals to a blue collar demographic in a way that actually seems real and borne of experience, as opposed to many of his mainstream peers. Instead of developing that into more stuff like the title track or “Amarillo Sky,” he generally chooses to spend about half his album on back roads. The result is that the majority of the rest of this becomes forgettable, interchangeable material, but it’s at least delivered with some personality and heart.

I have to single out the God-awful exceptions to this, though, which come in “Like You Were Mine” and “Gettin’ Warmed Up.” He attempts to rap in both of them, something someone should really tell him to never do again because as a singer, Jason’s got charisma, but as a rapper, he is shockingly bad. The latter, aside from the rap, is literally, right down to the title, a carbon copy of his former hit “Just Gettin’ started.” I actually put on that track and noticed that one of the lyrics there is “we’re just gettin’ warmed up.” We’re always saying mainstream country is out of ideas and rehashing old clichés and drumbeats, but this is literally like Aldean and his team took that song and said, “Hey, this worked once. Can we do this again?”

The other major problem, as I mentioned before, is the electronic production. It’s not even so much that it’s electronic production over more country sounds–although I wouldn’t object to more country sounds if he wanted to use them–it’s that it doesn’t sound like Aldean sonically. “I’ll Wait For You” is one of the few songs which sounds like him with its arena rock style. He traditionally hasn’t gravitated toward all these drum loops. They’re cluttered on “Better at Being Who I Am” and unnecessary on other songs. “Drowns the Whiskey,” which features all that steel and sings of heartbreak, might have bridged the mainstream/independent gap well if it sounded more like normal Aldean, but more traditional-minded fans probably won’t get past that loop. It all feels very trend-chasing, and it’s really kind of odd considering how consistently Jason Aldean this is in basically all other aspects.

So, in standard Jason Aldean style, he’s given us a mixed record. The good songs here are standouts, providing some quality and substance in the midst of the endless party. As for the endless party itself, at least for the most part it has some personality. If he could just refrain from rapping, there wouldn’t be anything God-awful here, just a lot of filler. But this is basically what you expect from a Jason Aldean release, and as I said before, if this were the worst that came out of the mainstream, we wouldn’t have much of a problem.

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Reviews

Album Review: John Prine–The Tree of Forgiveness

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Rating: 7/10

How can I actually find a way to properly introduce the great John Prine. If background info seemed superfluous with Willie Nelson, it seems almost ridiculous with John Prine, as that name should be an introduction in and of itself, carrying the legend of the incredible songwriting that has marked his career. Indeed, he wrote one of my favorite songs in “Angel From Montgomery,” and I am nothing but glad to see that with this resurgence of his popularity at this point in his life, new generations are coming around to the fact that Prine is a songwriting genius.

John Prine was never an especially remarkable singer, and time and especially cancer can be cruel to a voice, but that’s not why anyone ever listened to Prine in the first place. If it was a great voice you were looking for, it’s your loss because it’s wisdom and passion which outlast even time and circumstance, and Prine displays both in his songwriting. Anyone looking to become better at this craft should study this album and the music of John Prine, for the man is a world-class wordsmith, and no one can pen songs quite like him.

It’s not just his choice of words or the unique way he can empathize with the world, either. It’s the way he can make death seem like a party in “When I Get to Heaven”–in fact, the very name of this album comes from the name of a nightclub he plans to open in the afterlife. He speaks of starting a band and smoking cigarettes that are nine miles long and makes it all seem like an adventure, all but eliminating the fear of death with this picture of it. He can make us all feel at once sympathetic with the forgotten, lonesome narrator of “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door” and guilty for not helping the less fortunate. With the pictures he paints, he lets us know it’s our business to be more compassionate to people, to understand their circumstances and put ourselves in their place. It’s not preachy because John Prine is not a preacher–he’s a storyteller, and this is a story of the downtrodden that needs to be told. He can even humanize “poor planet Pluto,” as he does in the album highlight, “Lonesome Friends of Science,” the once majestic planet which has now been demoted.

It’s also in that song that he speaks of actually “living” in a place deep inside his mind while collecting his mail in Tennessee. It’s an interesting perspective and one that is common among songwriters and other creative souls, as they interpret the world with deeper emotion and unique insight, feeling things from deep within and letting their imaginations run free. It’s certainly from a place like that where songs like “Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967, (crazy Bone)” originate; yes, that’s a real title here on this album, and yes, the song is about as strange as that title would imply. But it’s a cheerful reminder for us all to stay weird if nothing else.

Dave Cobb was, for the most part, a good producer for this because he knows how to get out of the way of an artist and let their lyrics be the focal point. This is pretty minimalist in its approach, and usually, that serves Prine well. There’s some upbeat, cheerful acoustic guitar in “Knockin’ on Your Screen door” which helps to give that track some life, and some lively drums and more energetic production to help the humorous “Crazy Bone.” The piano adds to “Lonesome Friends of Science” as well, creating a nice interlude in the middle of that track. There are some collaborators, most notably Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, and Brandi Carlile, and they do their part to enhance, rather than take away from, the lyrics. Prine and his words are always the main focus.

Still, it does feel like sometimes John Prine is left too exposed by the production. “Summer’s End,” for example, could have done with a bit more, especially at the beginning, as it sounds sort of unfinished. “NO Ordinary Blue” could have benefited from some collaboration to support the vocals as well, and “Caravan of Fools” just feels like it needed something else, maybe some strings or piano to add to it. There are some strings which come in at the very end, but they would have served the song better if they’d come in earlier. It’s an odd thing to say because a record usually suffers from the opposite when it comes to production issues, but this one is underproduced in places.

As for John Prine himself, this album proves why he’s become so popular again later in his life, why people are once again taking notice of his songs and his career. It’s because he is a songwriter like no other, and people recognize that wisdom and talent when they hear it. They admire his compassion and love the weirdness and wit which separates him from many of his contemporaries. On a side note, this record is also a great case for the fact that artists don’t magically stop having something relevant or profound to say when they’ve reached a certain age or point in their careers–it’s a lesson Americana knows well but which country needs to learn. Aspiring songwriters and fans of good music, acquaint yourself with Jon Prine. This is just another good place to begin.

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Memorable Songs

Memorable Songs From Overlooked Albums: April 13th

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Since this little feature has been around for a year now, and you all seem to enjoy it, I’ve given it its own category, so you can more easily find all of these. This is a semi-regular affair that pops up when we’ve got enough material to warrant it and contains songs from forgettable/mediocre albums, songs from stuff we didn’t review out of deference to artists or time constraints, and songs from albums we just didn’t have much to say about but still felt some tracks deserved a feature.

Dallas Moore: “Home is Where the Highway Is

I know many people liked Dallas Moore’s album Mr. Honky Tonk–it really wasn’t for me, but it’s one where I get the appeal for those who like that “outlaw country” sound and style. I could have really picked any of these tracks to showcase because once you’ve heard one, you’ve got the idea, and basically, you’ll know who you are if you’re going to like it. It’s that typical, straightforward outlaw sound that many artists have relied upon recently, although I will say that Moore tries to go deeper than the surface with some of this and pulls this off more than many of his counterparts.

David Lee Murphy–“As the Crow Flies”

The best and most succinct descriptor for David Lee Murphy’s recent album, No Zip Code, that I’ve seen is “lame.” It’s a shame because he made some really cool music back in the 90’s; on this album, he tries to revive the ghost of bro country in lots of boring and ill-advised ways. The album has very little personality, but here’s a track that really stands out among the forgettable.

David Lee Murphy–“Voice of Reason”

Definitely a highlight on this album, a nice country rock track reminding you what David Lee Murphy is really capable of when he applies himself. More of this on the next record, please.

Western Centuries–“Earthly Justice”

This Western Centuries album is just not for me. “Earthly Justice” was the first song I heard From Songs from the Deluge, and I thought I’d really enjoy it, but it turns out to be the only one I really like. That said, a song like this is the reason this feature was born because this is a really cool song that deserves to be heard. And who knows, the album might be for you as well.

Jordan Davis–“Going ‘Round”

Now to the mainstream, and yes, that dude who produced the completely idiotic “Singles You UP” also has a couple of intelligent cuts on his album. “Going ‘Round” is the antithesis of “Singles You Up” actually, depicting a narrator who is remorseful after screwing it up with his ex, and now that he’s heard she’s broken up with her new boyfriend, he wants to get back together. But he doesn’t want to move too fast because he knows she’s hurting, and he also knows that if he hadn’t let her go, this probably wouldn’t have happened in the first place…yes, I know, actual mature, intelligent emotions. Really good song here.

Jordan Davis–“Leaving New Orleans”

Further proof on Home State that this guy has something meaningful to say comes in the closer, “Leaving New Orleans.” Here, our narrator is leaving that town and all he’s ever known because it reminds him too much of his ex…again, actual, honest emotion, and also really nice, vivid imagery of the Quarter and the things that make New Orleans unique and beautiful.

Kim Richey–“Chase Wild Horses”

Kim Richey’s Edgeland is a victim of a bad release day–it came out the same day as Lindi Ortega, Kacey Musgraves, Ashley McBryde, Red Shahan, etc. It’s partly because of time constraints and partly because I like this album better than my review would likely indicate that I leave it here; those obsessed with the rating would get caught up in the 6, but it’d be a good 6. This is one where I could have chosen several songs and the album I most recommend people listen to out of the ones featured here. If you liked the Caroline Spence album Spades and Roses from last year, you’ll have a great shot of enjoying this. I tried to display the variety here by going with these two, “Chase Wild Horses” being the more upbeat, folk rock number.

Kim Richey–“The Get Together” (featuring Mando Saenz)

The best for last, and this is a beautifully written and performed song about two friends, or exes, or really whatever relationship you want to imagine since it’s not clear, getting together because one of them is leaving. It’s something we can all relate to, and the harmonies really add a lot to this track. This one’s also more country-leaning and features some excellent steel guitar. There’s a reason this is on the March playlist for sure. Really great song, and my only regret is that this live version is all I can find to place here.

Random Reflections

Reflecting on: Lindi Ortega – Cigarettes and Truckstops

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Lindi Ortega has been an artist whose style has had to grow on me. Her voice is quite different from those that I usually gravitate toward, but she has a real talent for darker songs. Readers of this site know I don’t often turn away from a dark song! Therefore, when deciding which of Lindi Ortega’s albums I wanted to reflect upon, I had only one in mind.

Release Date: 2012

Style: Alt-Country

People Who Might like This Album: Those who appreciate a good dark tale, and people who don’t mind some deviation from the usual ideas of country music.

Standout Tracks: “Day You Die,” “Murder of Crows,” “Heaven Has No Vacancy”

The songs listed above are not the only great tracks here, but since this is a ten-song album I thought I’d keep my list short. I like when Lindi does more upbeat songs, so “Day You Die” was an instant love, merely based on the guitars and tempo. Still, it’s the lyrics that really make this song stick. “You said you’d love me til the cows come home, well I’m hoping that they all go blind”. Basically, her lover says he’ll love her forever, but she fights with all her might to keep their passion alive, nonetheless. She tells him “just don’t say you’ll love me til the day you die”.

“Murder of Crows” is—you guessed it—a song about murder. It’s got more of a faster tempo though, and her voice is slightly effected. We don’t really learn why, but we know that the narrator of the song kills someone. With an opening line of “everybody knows what’s going down when a murder of crows starts hanging around”, it’s hard to not be immediately hooked.

“Heaven Has No Vacancy” is, if possible, even darker than “Murder of Crows”. The narrator is trying to get into Heaven, and she ends up sitting on the stairs of the Pearly Gates. The imagery of this song is simply stunning. Plus, the words in the beginning of the song, “for if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into Hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness” sets the stage nicely. The narrator wants a place in Heaven, but Heaven has no vacancy.

Overall, this album is one I always come back to when I think of Lindi Ortega. The variety of subjects and different tempos keep things interesting. Overall, it’s probably my favorite of her albums. With Liberty coming out recently, her music has been brought more to my attention, and I’m hoping for people to check out her back catalog.

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The Most Destructive Criticism is Indifference