Tag Archives: Chris Stapleton

Playlists

My Top 13 Songs of 2017 So Far

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Editor’s Note: I wrote “my” instead of “Country Exclusive’s” for a reason; this does not necessarily reflect the views of our entire site. Also, these are not, and I repeat, not, in any order. Finally, with the exception of one song which I felt it would be idiotic to leave out, these are all from stuff we have covered in some fashion, either by a full-length review or perhaps through a feature in our “Memorable Songs from Overlooked Albums” pieces. Normally, I would restrict this to stuff one of us has actually written about, but that would leave out one song which, like I say, it would be a glaring sin not to bring up here. So take all this into consideration, and feel free to leave your own lists of songs and thoughts about these in the comments below!

Aaron Watson: “Clear Isabel”

From Vaquero
The first song to really blow my mind in 2017, this is a great and timely story about Isabel and her father, Mariano, who flee to America to escape the cartels of Mexico. Isabel ends up married to the narrator of the song, but her father is deported and later gunned down. It’s an honest and heartbreaking look at immigration, not to mention a brilliant song. Even better with the instrumental prelude, “Mariano’s Dream.”

Jaime Wyatt: “Wishing Well”

From Felony Blues
Jaime Wyatt is probably the name I’m most excited about breaking out in 2017. She has a way of singing about hardship that still manages to put a smile on your face, and this is just a stellar song that gets better every time I hear it.

Natalie Hemby: “Cairo, IL”

This one comes off Puxico, which we didn’t review in full, but it was partly responsible for the “Memorable Songs” features because this track about the lonely, forgotten river town of Cairo, Illinois, is one of the best songs of the year and should by no means be overlooked.

Jason Eady: “Barabbas”

From Jason Eady’s self-titled album
Purely from a songwriting standpoint, this has to be the cleverest thing to come out this year, telling us the story of the man freed by the crucifixion of Jesus, yet never mentioning Jesus or religion, and instead allowing the song to be a timeless track for everyone, although connecting even more deeply with those of faith.

Angaleena Presley: “Dreams Don’t Come True

From Wrangled
This just blew me away on the first listen; who’s going to tell you, especially at the beginning of their record, that look, dreams don’t come true, and don’t believe anyone who says otherwise? But it’s Angaleena Presley’s reality, and credit her for confronting it head-on to deliver us something so powerfully painful and honest.

Angaleena Presley: “Wrangled”

Also from Wrangled
Angaleena Presley has the distinction of being the only one on the list with two entries, but this song is equally deserving. From the wonderful melody to the thought-provoking lyrics about being “wrangled” by her life and husband, this song stands out just as much as “Dreams Don’t Come True.”

Brad Paisley: “Gold All Over the Ground”

From Love and War
What, a mainstream name like Brad Paisley? Yes, that’s what I said. This is Paisley’s musical adaptation of a poem composed by Johnny Cash in the 1960’s, and they don’t make love songs like this anymore. Between the poetry of Cash and the arrangement of Paisley, it has definitely earned its place among the best songs so far in 2017.

Colter Wall: “Kate McCannon

From Colter Wall’s self-titled album
There were many outstanding songs on Colter Wall’s debut record, I just picked the one that shined a tiny bit brighter than the rest.

Chris Stapleton: “Either Way”

From From a Room, Volume 1
I didn’t always think Chris Stapleton showed emotion on his new album–sometimes he just belted songs, and they lost a little of the passion. But this is one moment where he absolutely killed it, and this version might be better than the original LeeAnn Womack version.

The Steel Woods: “Straw in the Wind”

From Straw in the Wind
What a dark, ominous tale–this one comes from one of our collaborative reviews, and Brianna and I both agreed that this story of a town where strangers “disappear like straw in the wind” is a standout of the record.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: “If we Were Vampires”

Yeah, here’s the one I didn’t review, but this is one of the best songs of Isbell’s career, and when I said they don’t make love songs like that anymore about Paisley’s, I guess Isbell proved me wrong. He mentions all the details he loves about his wife, and more than that, he makes you think of death as a gift because it allows you to be a better lover and make the moments last. What a beautiful and morbid picture of love; I’ve never been sad, happy, and scared while listening to a love song before, but that’s what Jason Isbell does here.

Kasey Chambers: “Jonestown

From Dragonfly
The standout of Chambers’ recent double album, this one deals with hardship and discrimination and tells a great story. Probably the most underrated and least known one on the list.

Trisha Yearwood: “Maggie’s Dream”

This one is from the Gentle Giants album, and like I said before when I mentioned this song, I don’t care that it’s a cover, it’s still one of the best songs of the year. Trisha Yearwood delivered a better rendition of an already great song, and she’s earned her place on this list.

Honorable Mentions

  • Jason Eady: “Black Jesus”
  • John Moreland: “Love is Not an Answer”
  • Lauren Alaina: “Same Day, Different Bottle”
  • Zac Brown Band: “All the Best”
  • Kelleigh Bannen: “Church clothes”
  • Rhiannon Giddens: “Better Get it Right the First Time”
  • Sam Outlaw: “Everyone’s Looking For Home”
Commentary

“It’s Always the Songs”–What we Should Learn From Steve Earle’s Recent Outbursts

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Ahead of his new album So You Wannabe an Outlaw, Steve Earle has not been afraid to speak his mind. IN a recent interview with The Guardian, Earle calls out, among other things, the current state of pop country and says that the mainstream is nothing but “hip-hop for people who are afraid of black people.” He also says that “the best stuff coming out of Nashville is all by women except for Chris Stapleton.” I don’t want to focus too much on this interview since that’s not originally what this article was meant to be about, but it adds new light to it and strengthens the point I was originally going to make here–Steve Earle is not afraid to be honest and share his opinion. However, the thing is, although it’s not overly common, bashing pop country is certainly not uncommon, and we’ve seen our fair share of artists do so over the past several years. The thing that makes Earle’s recent statements different comes in light of another interview, which before today had been the main focus of this piece.

IN another interview in Canada, with The Globe and Mail, when asked about Canadian songwriters, Steve Earle mentioned Colter Wall, citing him as “the best singer-songwriter I’ve come across in years.” Here’s where the interview takes an interesting turn.

I haven’t heard his new album yet, but I heard him [Colter] described as “bad Richard Buckner.”
Richard Buckner sucks. Richard Buckner is the most overrated songwriter in the history of songwriting ever. Girls liked him, because he stared at his feet. He’s a neanderthal. I know Buckner.
I’m quite fond of Buckner’s music. Particularly, The Hill (2000).
He can’t write his way out of a wet paper bag. Richard Buckner was nothing but a painfully alternative hipster’s darling. But I hate a lot of things people think are brilliant. I will not read Cormac McCarthy again. Technically, he’s one of the best writers I’ve ever come across. But I don’t think his intentions are good. I don’t think he likes us. I don’t think he likes himself. Actually, I think he likes himself just fine. That’s what’s so disgusting about it. I think he thinks the rest of us are pieces of [garbage].
Painfully alternative hipster’s darling, you say about Buckner. Can you explain that?
I don’t want to be a part of a culture that defines itself by what it hates. I can’t stand alternativism. I mean, I hate disco, but I have to admit there’s been some great art coming out of dance music.
But out of hate and alternativism comes great art. Punk rock, as a reaction to disco, for example.
Sure. But the stuff that’s great in punk rock are the songs. The songs hold up. The stuff lasts. Nirvana’s not Nirvana because of punk rock. Nirvana’s not Nirvana because it was different than hair metal. Nirvana is Nirvana because Kurt Cobain was a world-class songwriter. It’s always the songs.

First of all, I had never heard the name Richard Buckner before this interview, and let me tell you, after getting acquainted, Steve Earle is entirely correct, Richard Buckner sucks–but that’s beside the point. The point is, and it’s been strengthened today by his criticism of the mainstream, that he’s not afraid to judge the independent/Americana/alternative in the same way as what is popular. We’re all pressured by that in this independent country scene, to like everything Americana just because it’s not on the radio or isn’t considered mainstream. But let me tell you, a lot of it bores the hell out of me, and Country Exclusive was founded on a principle of honesty. When I said that, I didn’t just mean bashing the mainstream, and I get that there’s a certain problem with spending too much time unnecessarily bashing the little guy, but there’s also this elitist attitude in the Americana world that makes it seem as if you can’t criticize anything about these artists. Hell, there are albums I enjoy but have slight criticisms about in Americana, but somehow, if we say that, it’s a horrific thing. Criticism is meant to be constructive, and to share an opinion–and if the artist deems it necessary to listen, perhaps to make that artist better, but again, it’s just someone’s opinion. WE all find it easy to bash Nashville and pop country, and we all rally behind people like Steve Earle when they do the same. So why do we attack him for saying something negative about an Americana artist? I love that last point–“It’s always the songs.” Let it always stay about the songs. That goes for you mainstream fans afraid to like Jason Isbell, and for you independent/alternative/Americana fans afraid to like Chris Stapleton because he wrote some mainstream hits. Just let it be about the songs. They should, and will, speak for themselves.

Commentary

You Know What? I Couldn’t Care Less About the Production on Colter Wall’s Album

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Recently, I reviewed Colter Wall’s self-titled debut album, and if you haven’t heard that record, you’re honestly depriving yourself for no good reason. It’s right up there with the best of 2017 so far; it got a 9/10 here, but only just, due to one song, “You Look to Yours,” which admittedly has gotten only slightly better and less boring since my initial thoughts…but I digress.

Many outlets had a common criticism, in varying degrees of intensity, of the production. Produced by Dave Cobb, this record was minimalist to say the least–in fact, Cobb did virtually nothing, letting Colter and his guitar speak for themselves on a good portion of the album. This was quite a contrast from Wall’s debut EP which featured more interesting instrumentation and sometimes lively fiddles. I wrote that I thought that might have worked in some places on this record, and that Dave Cobb was to blame. I was careful to add that I personally thought that on this particular album, Dave Cobb did a fantastic job, getting out of the way of Colter–but I added that Colter will have to expand his sound going forward, and I agreed that the concerns of production are valid, if perhaps a little early.

But now? After listening to this several more times, and as this record becomes one of my personal favorites of 2017, as well as one of the best from a critical standpoint, I have to take back those comments. I think the production here was fantastic, as I already said, and I do think Colter’s next album can’t be more of the same without running the risk of it feeling a little stale, a la Stapleton. However, Stapleton is an easy comparison because they used the same producer; the bigger problem with Stapleton wasn’t Dave Cobb’s production as much as a general lack of passion from Chris Stapleton himself, which stands out even more on a minimalist Dave Cobb project where there’s not much going on to distract you. Now, I do have a problem with some of the production on Stapleton’s album, but my point is that it made it easy at first for me to draw comparisons with Colter Wall and seek out problems with the minimalistic approach, especially one that differed so much from Colter’s previous output.

But that’s just it; Stapleton’s two albums sound exactly the same, whereas Colter’s album and EP sound nothing alike, so I believe this means that any concern we have about him sliding into a rut with production is completely unwarranted until his next project. That concern should have no bearing on this album, and when I listen to this album, I can find no flaw in the production. Colter Wall and his guitar are enough, and that is all the more reflective of his talent and of the strength of these songs. I’m actually glad Dave Cobb got out of the way of this and let Colter and his stories shine. I can still understand people who wanted more production wise, but it is no longer my criticism–and as for expanding his sound going forward, we’ve already seen two very different sounds from Colter Wall, so I’m no longer sure we have to worry about this either. Now seriously, go listen to this album, it’s still incredible.

Commentary

What Happens When you Take Women Out?

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I debated whether or not I should write this piece because it’s really quite personal, and I’m not sure if it will be relatable or have a point when I’m done here, but it’s still on my mind after a couple of days, so I’ll try my best to be articulate as I express my thoughts.

The inspiration for this piece came after the news that Miranda Lambert’s “Tin Man” fell from #38 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart this week to #42, despite its sales and the ridiculous spike after her ACM performance. Now, as I’ve seen a lot of people point out, Miranda has never had the greatest treatment at radio anyway. There’s also the fact that “Tin Man” is stripped down, not necessarily radio-friendly, and quite traditional, so it’s got those strikes against it–although “The House That Built Me” had all of these characteristics and still gave her a #1 hit. But the glaring fact is, a big part of this simply has to do with the fact that Miranda Lambert is female, and in 2017, despite all the think pieces and supposed inclusion of more women by the country awards shows, females are still systematically ignored on country radio and by the country industry as a whole–and if you think these awards shows really want to include more women, why are there fewer nominees for ACM Female Vocalist of the Year? Sure, more women have been signed to major labels recently, but they’re not generally given the same chances to succeed; there’s a quota for females on country radio, and Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood are filling it. And now it looks like Lambert will be replaced by Kelsea Ballerini, who is as non-country as Sam Hunt and the bros.

Keith Hill said back in 2015 that radio should “take women out.” The more infamous part was calling them tomatoes, but the more alarming part was taking them out. Lindi Ortega said then, “I can’t begin to describe to you how my blood boils at those words. Erase us, delete us…make it so we don’t exist.” And that’s what country radio is systematically doing–taking the female perspective so completely out that it’s shocking to imagine a woman’s point of view beyond the “girl” on the tailgate. Maren Morris recently spoke about this when she wrote that women in country can’t be sexual in their songs–they are supposed to be pretty and desirable but not write about their own desires. That inspired another piece which I haven’t yet written and have many conflicting feelings about writing–mostly because so many people I know will read it, and Maren Morris is a stronger person than I am–but it’s a more specific issue deriving from the same problem: take women, and their perspective, out. “Girls” are okay–and that’s why Kelsea Ballerini’s music can succeed on country radio; that, and that it isn’t country and seldom has substance.

So what actually happens when you take women out? I could go on about how it takes away their perspective in the mainstream, or how it leads to radio being one-sided and favoring music that marginalizes them, but I’m going to answer it from a personal place instead. I grew up in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, and one of the first country records I ever owned was a Dixie Chicks album, Wide Open Spaces. I fell in love with their music because it was country, but also because I could sing it and relate to it. They were women, and what they sang about appealed to me. I loved Martina McBride and Faith Hill, and later Miranda and Carrie. I sang an inordinate amount back then, so I will say that part of the appeal in their albums was that I could sing them; their ranges matched mine. But more than that, I related to them. I enjoyed plenty of music by male artists–and still do–but I naturally gravitated toward more women artists. Even today, on this blog, I can go back and look at the very few tens I’ve awarded–it’s a subconscious thing, but more of those records are by women. They have nothing in common in production, style, lyrics–but tens are set apart from nines for me because they can connect emotionally, and I have connected emotionally with more women in the history of running this blog, it seems.

The point of all this is that I fell out of love with country radio for the same reasons you all did; it lost its sound and its substance almost overnight. More than that, here in Oklahoma, radio killed Red Dirt around the same time. It had once lived on our radio stations along with mainstream music, but things like the rise of iHeart helped to destroy it. Even more than all of that, though, I became disenchanted with country radio because of the lack of women. I didn’t know then that there was all this independent music floating around just waiting to be discovered, and all of a sudden, I couldn’t relate to anything on the radio or sing along with any of the records. I mentioned that I sang, and I will now say that I grew up wanting to be those women. And I don’t think it’s even possible to do that now. You can’t turn on country radio and hear Miranda lambert as a young girl and say, “I want to sing like her” or get that passion for country music like I did. It’s the same thing I said in my piece about genre awhile back, that it makes me sad that your average young person can’t just turn on the radio and find and fall in love with traditional-sounding country. But even that’s starting to make its way back in, (slowly), with Stapleton, Morgan, Pardi, Midland…while the women are being pushed further and further out. Sure, there are plenty of them out there if you know where to look, but you have to love country first before you go seeking out Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley and Margo Price.

And I’m not saying a girl can’t fall in love with country from listening to men, or anything close to that; I’m only saying that in my case, I don’t think I’d be sitting here writing this if I hadn’t heard all those women on country radio back then, and if country radio’s systematic ignoring of females keeps even one girl from falling in love with this wonderful genre, then that’s the real problem, and the real danger of taking women out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12cUm2OwnPs

Reviews

Collaborative Review: Chris Stapleton–From a Room, Volume 1

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Ok, so we thought we’d try something different for this review, and if it works and you all enjoy it, we may do this on occasion for more albums in the future. Brianna and I each came into this album with very different opinions of Stapleton’s prior work; while we were both fans, she was more impressed by Traveller than I was, and a self-described Stapleton fan, and although I really enjoyed that album, I felt it was a bit too long and not quite on the level assigned to it by some critics. We both felt his unprecedented sweep of the 2015 CMA’s and subsequent historic success to be well-deserved and have both looked forward to this album. And, while we’ve both enjoyed Chris Stapleton’s second record, different songs and aspects spoke to each of us once again–it goes back to that whole “music is subjective” thing that Leon of Country Music Minds and I seemingly discuss every five minutes. So with that in mind, we thought we’d share our opinions together and just have a conversation about the music.

Track Listing

1. “Broken Halos”
Brianna: “Broken Halos” is a really nice way to open this album. From the opening acoustic guitar to Chris Stapleton’s voice, I was immediately drawn in by this song. I like the lyrics too, which are admittedly a bit vague, but seem to speak on how people help us, but eventually leave. This song has continued to grow on me with each listen. It’s one of my favorites off this album.
Megan: See, I would disagree slightly. I think it’s a really solid song, but it doesn’t draw me in as an opener like “Traveller” did off his last album. I think it’s the vagueness in the lyrics you mentioned. There’s no doubt his voice and that guitar make you want to listen, but for me, it’s not a strong opener.
Brianna: The vagueness is the one thing I’d change about that song.
2. Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning”
Megan: Wow, what a song this is. It’s a nice Willie Nelson cover, and the harmonies with his wife Morgane are always great. Although, and I’m probably going to be unpopular for saying this, I sort of feel like with this, and later on with another cover, he’s trying to manufacture another “Tennessee Whiskey” moment. And I’m just not sure that’s happening again. Still love this though.
Brianna: I never knew it was a cover until you told me, but I agree with you on feeling like he’s trying to make another “Tennessee Whiskey.” I really like the song, but at the same time, I don’t love it either. I won’t keep saying it, but his voice is fantastic. OH, and I like the imagery in the lyrics, but I guess that doesn’t really come into play here since it’s a cover.
Megan: I think it still does, to some degree. I mean, he did choose a good cover lol.
3. “Second One to Know”
Brianna: The more upbeat music on this track was a really nice change, and the theme in the lyrics is pretty clever, since he wants to be the “second one to know” if the woman he’s with decides she’s done with the relationship. It’s really catchy since the song’s fast too. It’s not my favorite, but I do wonder why this particular song was chosen to be performed on the [ACM] awards.
Megan: I agree–I like the theme and the upbeat instrumentation. Not to harp on it any more, but if I’m Stapleton, I’m opening the album with this fun little song.
Brianna: There aren’t many upbeat songs on the album, though, so maybe that would have misled the listener. Not sure why they did a lot of things they did, though.
Megan: You make a good point here–and yeah, Mercury really screwed up a lot of things, but that’s enough for a whole other piece lol.
4. “UP to No Good Livin'”
Megan: Here’s your classic country song, complete with lots of steel. Everybody who says Stapleton’s more soul than country, it’s like this song is a giant “f you” to this notion.
Brianna: Exactly. He proves he’s country with this song. NO surprise to anyone, but it’s my favorite. The steel, the vocals, the lyrics being very witty, talking about being unable to live down being up to no good.
Megan: Yep. “I’ll probably die before I live all my up to no good livin’ down”–I’m not sure you get much more country than that.
Brianna: I love it. So much.
5. “Either Way”
Brianna: I love the acoustic production here. It really allows Chris Stapleton’s voice to be the star–which it should be on a painful song like this. It took me a moment to adjust to this version of the song, since I’ve only heard Lee Ann Womack sing it, but he’s very successful at making his version stand out. The chorus gets me every time.
Megan: Yeah, and if he’s actually going to have another “Tennessee Whiskey,” it’s going to be here, as I prefer this version. The actual lyrics are about a couple passing in the hall but barely speaking, and when he belts out, “You can go, or you can stay, I won’t love you either way,” you can’t help but feel that pain. My favorite of the album.
6. “I Was Wrong”
Megan: Well, I said Stapleton isn’t more soul than country, but he’s definitely got a lot of soul in his country, and all that comes bursting out on this heartbreak song. One of the least country moments, but also one of his best vocal performances on the record.
Brianna: Yes, I have to agree with you about how soulful this song is. What I love about Chris Stapleton is that he isn’t out of place singing in a few different genres, and that it all feels natural. Back to the song…I like that he outright admits that he was wrong to his ex, as opposed to only himself.
7. “Without Your Love”
Brianna: This is my least favorite song off this album. The chorus is very catchy, though. I like that this is the next song after “I Was Wrong,” as it could be seen as the continuation of the story. I just think this song is otherwise forgettable.
Megan: It’s my least favorite too, and it does feel like the continuation of “I Was Wrong,” as in this one, he’s missing the ex. But it also adds to it being forgettable because it comes off as the lesser version of the incredible “I Was Wrong.” ON a longer album, I don’t mind this, but on a 9-track project, it feels like filler, and you can’t afford filler on a 9-song album, especially not one as stripped-back as this.
8. “Them Stems”
Brianna: It really does, as does “Them Stems.” I like the rhythm of the song, and again, the album did need a bit of a change in tempo, but this song doesn’t grab me aside from that.
Megan: Yeah, this is where we’re total opposites. I saw SCM call this filler and call the use of pot references to be cool outdated–which it is–but sue me, this is just the fun break from the rest of the album that I needed. One of my favorites. Just makes me smile every time I hear it. Also have to love the harmonica.
Brianna: Haha, I do recognize that a fun song was needed here, so I get it. And it is catchy. I don’t hate it, but it is my second least favorite.
9. “Death Row”
Megan: It’s a nice way to close the album, mixing his soulful voice with more country lyrics about a man on death row. The only tiny criticism I have for this is that while he sings the crap out of it, I don’t quite feel his pain like I do in “Either Way” and “I was Wrong.” Doesn’t quite connect with me.
Brianna: I don’t feel it emotionally either. Also, is it just me, or is the song kind of ambiguous? I don’t know if he did it or not. The reason I say that is because he says he told Jesus everything he knew, not everything he did. Plus, his lyrics are a bit hard for me to understand when the song starts.
Brianna: I love the sparse production though. It fits perfectly.
Megan: Yes, I would agree about it being ambiguous, not quite specific enough to strike a chord. That production definitely fits it and closes the whole thing well.

Overall

So, as you can see, although we both enjoyed this quite a bit, different moments stood out to each of us. My favorites were “Either Way,” “I Was Wrong,” and “Them Stems.” Brianna’s standouts were “Up to NO Good Livin'” and “Broken Halos.” WE did agree that “Without Your Love” seemed like filler, and we each thought that while this record was solid, as a 9-song effort, it seems to still be missing something. For me, it’s an overall better effort than Traveller because that was too long, but since this was shorter, I wanted it to be nothing but brilliant songs, and it didn’t quite live up to that. Brianna considers this more a solid, consistent effort all the way through for a 7.5, while I see it as a good album with a little filler but also some standout brilliance, making it about an 8.5. So we’re going with a collective
8/10

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