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The “Real Country” debate and Other Musings: a Collaboration with the Musical divide

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So I was having a discussion on Twitter today with Zack of The Musical Divide about Kacey Musgraves’ new album and all the mixed reactions to it. It seems to be a completely polarizing release, and that’s sparked the age-old debate about “real country,” in this case whether or not Musgraves is tired of the genre. We agreed that she’s not, and although not traditional, Golden Hour is still a country record, and that people dismissing it immediately for not being country enough aren’t taking the time to really form their own opinions about the music. We decided that we both really had a lot to say about this, so we had a proper discussion and made one of our Twitter musings into a worthwhile, enlightening conversation. You can read that below.

Zack: I’ll pose a question to start this off – what to you defines “country music?”

Megan: I define it by honesty in storytelling, lyrics about real life and real people. I do look for signature sounds like fiddle and pedal steel, but those are secondary for me. Still, if I hear instruments like that, I consider them country elements of a song.

Z: I always thought it was something like that too, but these days, I don’t know. Do you think saying that something isn’t “country” is a worthy critique in and of itself?

M: I think it’s a worthy critique when stuff is sent to country radio for sure. Like, Zac Brown Band’s “Beautiful Drug” can be criticized for not being country because he admitted to it being an EDM song and then sent it to country radio. But I also think it’s becoming a blanket criticism for stuff we don’t like. I think you and I can agree Golden Hour has lots of country to it, but a lot of people are just dismissing it out of hand. It’s fine not to like it, and it’s obviously not traditional, but it’s becoming a really lame excuse to not like something.

Z: I agree. I think it’s a matter of people not really owning up to a full opinion. Saying it’s not country is an easy cop-out, and if that’s why you don’t like it, fine, but tell me how that makes it “bad.” Is the lyricism weak? Are the vocals not there? Albums like Musgraves’ always present the ugliness of this debate, when in reality, Musgraves meant to unite rather than divide.

The thing is with this conversation, there’s material that seems like it’s pretty obvious as to what genre it belongs under such as Sam Hunt or Walker Hayes’ material. However, I think we’re starting to see that card played out *too* much, to the point where the only stuff that can only be counted as “Country” is material that rips directly from the past.

Do you think Country music is restrictive in that regard? Or no?

M: You’re right, I think people have gotten to where they hear something like Golden Hour, and they don’t like it, which is fine. It’s halfway there, forming your own opinion about something. But it’s easy for them to say it’s not country enough instead of really thinking about the music. One comparison I keep coming back to is Starfire by Caitlyn Smith. I mean, would you say that’s country? A lot of these same people love that record, which is again fine, but they call it country pop, and for me, it’s way less country than Golden Hour. I remember even telling you that when it came out, that I felt like it was almost out of my lane completely because it was so pop. To answer your other question, I don’t think country is a restrictive genre–look at Marty Stuart’s Way Out West, for example–but I think purists are making it restrictive and putting unnecessary limits on it. I’d be curious as to your take on that as well since you try to avoid the “real country” argument and embrace a lot of genre-bending stuff.

Z: Would I say Caitlyn Smith’s latest album, Starfire is Country? That’s the million dollar question. Or rather, just one of them. I don’t know the answer to that. I think there’s a way for the songs or albums to not necessarily fit the sounds of the genre and yet still fit within somehow. For example, “This Town Is Killin’ Me” is about her struggles in Nashville, and some of those songs like “East Side Restaurant” and “House Of Cards” are dripping with real, honest emotion.

However, I think comparing which album is “more country” is frankly, pretty stupid. Let’s instead argue which one is better, because thankfully that line were trying to draw with genre can’t possibly be drawn with an opinion. We can only offer a perspective and see what the other side thinks (and vice versa).

It’s hard to answer your second question. Do I think it’s true? Yes, but all I really have to go on are random Internet comments I see on social media or other blogs’ comments sections. I think something like Way Out West is a type of rare album, but it’s also hard to say in that instance whether Stuart is getting a pass for actually making genre-bending music or because he’s simply a legend we respect and wouldn’t dare touch.

It’s amazing though, Country oriented sites will gladly talk about acts like Blackberry Smoke or Whiskey Myers, and on the other end of the spectrum, someone more Pop leaning such as Glen Campbell is viewed as aces with the crowd.

And of course, there’s a huge difference between Pop-Country like Glen Campbell and Pop-Country like Walker Hayes, but who am I to say? That would only be my opinion and nothing more. I have no evidence because that line is so murky.

M: I can’t believe you’ve just written a sentence containing Glen Campbell and Walker Hayes…shouldn’t there be some sort of law against this? You raise a good point, though, that country-oriented sites/blogs/whatever seem to be more accepting of rock influences than of pop ones. It kind of makes sense because rock is musically closer to country, but still, you can make a case that Blackberry Smoke and even Jason Isbell are less country sonically than some of the stuff on Golden Hour, so the disconnect with listeners is interesting. As for which is better, for me personally, I prefer Golden Hour to Starfire even with the killer songwriting on Starfire, and it’s precisely because as a listener, I like stuff like “Love is a Wild Thing,” where you hear modern production with pedal steel. But that’s just me, and it’s not a right or wrong opinion. Similarly, it’s not right or wrong to prefer Starfire. I just don’t think you can actually say you don’t like Golden Hour because it isn’t country and then call Starfire a country pop record because to me, it proves you don’t actually have a complete opinion about why you don’t like Golden Hour. That’s the most important thing about being a music listener, just forming your own opinion and having the intelligence to back it up. Like, I don’t care if you think Walker Hayes is God’s gift to country music if you can actually defend that viewpoint and make me think about why you feel that way.

Z: Those are all great points. The key is to simply become a better music listener at the end of the day. On that note, I don’t have criticism for just traditionalists. It makes me mad to see supporters of the extreme kind of Country (Hayes, Hunt…etc) completely write off anyone who doesn’t like them as someone who can’t “get with the times.” It’s in these moments where I’d like to interject how neither artist (and certain artists beyond) fits in the genre, and yet if I’m going to hold tight to my other perspective, it’s a tricky stance to take. Still, I like when Country music drives itself forward to form something new that pulls from the past and blends it with the new. Anyone who dislikes the aforementioned artists though is just seen as someone who can’t handle Country music evolving, and the truth is, I think it’s stuck in a rut spinning its wheels because of it.

You hear all the time now how artists want to expand their sound, and sometimes I can’t blame them. I mean, Eric Church still receives comment that he’s a “Pop” star in 2018. Rock? Yeah, definitely. Not Country? I don’t fully agree but I get where you’re coming from? But Pop?!? To artists I think it just signals that certain fans have a preferred box they want those artists to be in, and the artists aren’t allowed to do anything except what they want.

That’s the tricky part about the business. We’re the customers, and the artists are the “products.” If I don’t like my iPhone5, Apple makes something better. Artists are real human beings though that have their own visions.

In the case of Kacey Musgraves, when she announced that her new album wouldn’t be as “Country” as her previous ones, while the frustration is understandable, a proper response is “alright, that disappoints me” rather than say, “he or she can’t do that!” At the end of the day, we’re all going to feel what we feel about the music, but there’s a difference between not being a fan of the artist’s choice and not being a fan who want said artist to be happy.

M: Yeah, exactly, your last point makes me go back to Zac Brown for a second. As a fan, I was ecstatic that he was going back to the band’s original sound with Welcome Home. But his heart wasn’t in it, and you can hear that all over it. It makes it the ZBB album I listen to the least. I’m not saying I’d be a fan of his EDM stuff, but if he wants to do that, then let him be happy. I heard more of his passion on Sir Rosevelt as far as that goes. Anyway, I agree, I have a definite problem with the newer artists who assume we all want everything to sound like Hank and Waylon just because we don’t like them. And I get where you’re coming from about it being a difficult line to walk, but actually I think you can pretty easily make the case some of those artists don’t belong in the genre at all. Obviously they don’t sound country, but it’s more than that. Their lyrics aren’t real or honest either, you can’t argue that anything Walker Hayes has ever done has the depth of emotion that you just argued for with Caitlyn Smith. I think the problem with those artists is they’re so obviously just trying to cash in with country. They’re not real, they’re not honest, they’re not anything that relates to what I said when I defined country music. Take out all the accepted country sounds as well, and it’s like adding insult to injury.

Z: Exactly. Personally I liked Welcome Home more than the Sir Rosevelt project, but if I had to pick which avenue Brown should go down, I’d definitely say EDM. Just stop trying to call it Country when you blatantly said it wouldn’t be that. That’s an exception to the rule for me, mostly because the artist themselves have admitted what genre it is.

Walker Hayes is an interesting predicament, because I think people would counter your point with a song like “Craig”, and to be fair, the message is strong, but it’s presented in a childish fashion, whereas Country is more of a mature genre.

Cashing in is definitely a popular sentiment. I mean, go back and listen to Hayes’ songs “Pants” or “Why Wait For Summer”; they easily fit the mold of early 2010’s Country. His new stuff sounds like a Macklemore meets Sam Hunt knockoff, and at that point it’s hard to tell what his true intentions are.

M: Yeah, I’ll give you that, “Craig” might be the exception. Still, his older stuff is completely different to his new album as you pointed out. He’s clearly adapted himself to whatever he thinks will sell. And as we’ve been discussing, expanding yourself as an artist is fine, and you should. But with Walker, you honestly can’t even tell they’re the same person. That’s not artistic growth at that point, it’s just trend-chasing.

Z: Well if nothing else, at least we’ve established that – the difference between art and commercial fluff. Still, I’m curious. Who would you say really is “traditional country” sounding today?

M: Truly traditional country? Jason Eady. Ags Connolly. Vivian Leva also just released a really traditional album. Joshua Hedley might be about to do so as well, but we’ll have to wait for the whole album. Zephaniah OHora, although to be really technical and nerdy, he would be countrypolitan. Courtney Patton, I almost forgot to mention her, and she’s released one of my favorite albums this year. I’m sure I’m leaving out some really obvious names. But with all the subgenres country is splitting into, there really aren’t that many “traditional-sounding” ones left. Who would you consider really traditional? I know I have to be leaving obvious people out.

Z: To use this answer again – I’d have no idea. Unfortunately I think you could make arguments for all of them being more “folk” singers than anything else. I consider those first three artists as Country artists who are making really great modern Country, but with Hedley and O’Hora, it’s fine and all, but notice how it’s a carbon copy of music of the past. That’s not bad on principle – O’Hora made one of my favorite songs last year, and I’m looking forward to Hedley’s album, but it goes back to that point of many artists not being accepted as “real” country until they literally pull from that well that artists of the past did.

M: Yes, I agree. And carbon copies of the past won’t ultimately move the genre forward. There is a lot of great modern country, from Red Dirt to Americana to pop country, but the ones I mentioned are the most “traditional” ones I can think of. I think you can make a folk argument for some of Connolly’s music and Leva’s too, but Jason Eady I’d disagree, that’s straight-up, three-chord country. Still, if we have only one or only a handful of true traditionalist artists, it’s further proof that we have to embrace the forward-thinking stuff because ultimately, we want country music, or I call it our beloved country music a lot on CE, to survive. And putting limitations on it will kill it as quickly as letting in the Sam Hunts of the world.

I think to that end, it’s important for older listeners and fans of that traditional style to introduce their children to good modern country. For example, maybe you don’t like Maddie & Tae, but your granddaughter might, so you come together over that, and she gets that passion for country music. That’s far better than wishing it would all revert back to Haggard and Jones and leaving her to listen to Hunt and Hayes. It might not always be your type of country, but it’s important for traditionalists to open themselves up to the good modern country and pass it down so that country music lives on.

Z: Right, I’m not saying it would be my argument, but I could totally see someone coming up with some asinine excuse for why Eady isn’t “real” Country. I don’t know, that’s just the vibe I get, but maybe I’m reading too many Internet comments! I think you said it all with your last comment, Megan. I’m not sure what else to add, but I think this conversation has certainly been enlightening. It’s a tough question to really answer, and ultimately I’m not sure I’ll ever get it, but I think thankfully there’s an artist for everyone in the Country genre right now, so instead of arguing about what they are, let’s have discussions on their music. Those seem more fun, even though I did have fun with this particular conversation.

M: I had a lot of fun also, and I think that you said it perfectly when you said there’s someone in the genre for everyone. Today, we got releases from Lindi Ortega, Kacey Musgraves, Red Shahan, and Ashley McBryde, all carrying the torch for country music, all doing it completely differently, and, in my opinion, all releasing really kickass albums. So instead of arguing over which of them has more country cred, let’s go listen to all that good music. Thanks for the discussion, I always love exploring stuff like this.

Commentary

Year-End Lists Should be About Quality, Not Quotas

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Before the release of my list of the best albums of 2017 tomorrow, I’d like to address an issue that’s been bothering me increasingly over the past week, as more and more people release their year-end lists of great country/Americana/bluegrass songs and albums. There seem to be two prevailing themes–the lists, in varying degrees of discrepancy, feature more men than women, and people are getting upset about this, citing it as a consistent, systematic discrimination similar to that faced by women on country radio and all across the industry.

First of all, undoubtedly there is an inherent bias and discrimination against women in the music industry, maybe especially in the country industry, and I’ve spilled much ink discussing this. Women are not given a chance to succeed on the radio despite sales numbers–see Miranda Lambert and “Tin Man,”–while men seem to constantly rocket up the charts no matter how much (Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road”) or how little “Luke Bryan’s “Light it Up”) it might actually be selling and resonating with the general public. Women are consistently speaking of quotas held by labels and radio programmers, of only being allowed so many slots in the mainstream just because of their gender. All of this is factual, and disheartening, , and something Country Exclusive will do its small part to fight and rail against for the foreseeable future.

But just as the quota for women shouldn’t exist on country radio, it shouldn’t exist on these year-end lists either. As a woman, I strive for equal opportunity with men, and I can’t speak for these artists, but what I can say about Country Exclusive is that we will offer an equal opportunity for both genders to be heard, reviewed, and considered for year-end lists. Although I can’t speak for anyone else with certainty, I believe this rings true for others in my position as well. That said, I will not guarantee equal results here–I will not feature a year-end list that contains exactly half men and half women unless that is a true reflection of my opinion of the quality of the music. I will not add or take away women from a list just to fill a quota or to avoid offending anyone. And if I were an artist, I’d want to be recognized on a list such as this because the writer(s) respected the quality of my work, not because they were playing an arbitrary numbers game. Just as it is wrong to exclude based on gender, it’s wrong to include only on that basis, for this in turn diminishes the quality of one’s output and asserts that specific groups, in this case women, need special treatment and mandated quotas in order to make these lists. This is not equality. This is not progress. This is affirmative action, and affirmative action is not, or should not be, the goal. A tweet I read sums this up perfectly by saying that if you pay attention to gender when listening to music, you’re doing it wrong.

Country Exclusive did not operate regularly in 2016, but two albums received a 10/10 rating that year and could be considered tied for Album of the Year. Those were Dori Freeman’s self-titled debut and Courtney Marie Andrews’ Honest Life. In 2015, our Album of the Year was given to the self-titled record by the Turnpike Troubadours, and in 2017, it will go to a man. Of the eight albums that have received perfect grades from me over the past two and a half years, five were by women–I heard it said that if these lists weren’t biased, surely on one of them, there would be more women than men, so although this is not a year-end list, there is a small example of women outnumbering men here on this platform. That said, in 2017, twenty-eight of the seventy-eight albums we’ve reviewed here have been either by solo women performers or by groups fronted by women–those are numbers reflecting the material which has been available to us, this is not half, nor will the albums list reflect that. I can’t speak for everyone on this, of course, but much of this is a numbers game–not a game of filling quotas, but simply of the numbers being unbalanced when it comes to albums released in 2017.

Lastly, above all, this should be about the quality of one’s work. If the twenty best albums of the year were made by men, a writer should reflect that, and readers should respect that. If they were made by women, once again, a writer should reflect that, and readers should respect it. Writers should take all artists’ music into equal consideration, but if this is happening, they shouldn’t be singled out for including more men than women, certainly not in a year where more albums have been released by men. Equal opportunity does not necessarily mean equal results, nor should we wish it to because this is a fundamental disrespect of the quality of music made by both men and women. Imagine being left off the list as a man because the list required more women that perhaps made lesser projects. Imagine being included on the list simply because you were a woman, rather than because that person actually believed in you and your craft and sought to highlight your music among all your peers, not just those from your gender. Neither scenario correctly reflects the true quality of the music at hand, and ultimately, that’s the problem with the systematic discrimination in the industry. It’s all about quotas, not quality. So set an example by not allowing it to be that way in independent music and on these lists, so that artists are truly recognized for putting out the best music, and so that gender is a completely irrelevant factor. It’s not about having “enough” women on these lists, it’s about making sure that the best music, regardless of anything else, is heard and rewarded.

Commentary

Right Then, About This Whiskey Riff Business

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Yes, I know I’m late to the party; I was out of town when the uproar broke out. And yes, I know maybe I shouldn’t give Whiskey Riff the satisfaction of even acknowledging this idiocy, as plenty of other outlets have already done it. If you don’t know by now, Whiskey Riff posted an article Friday asserting that the reason we all hate mainstream country music is because we were all losers in high school. Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan–well, they’re the good-looking jocks who get the popularity and the girls, and we’re all just jealous because we didn’t live this lifestyle in high school and can’t relate to or understand it. Essentially, we’re all just the geeks and misfits, and now we’re holding some sort of grudge against the jocks.

I won’t waste time doing what other blogs have already done fantastically; others have already defended the reasons we criticize mainstream country music. I won’t tell you my back story in an effort to explain my situation in high school, and I won’t lie and say I was extremely popular either. I won’t tell you about the mainstream artists I do enjoy–you can find that for yourself in the reviews. I will say the most offensive part of this for me was the part where we’re all jealous of FGl, Luke, and Sam because they’re good-looking and get all the girls. Ok, so even if we go with this assumption, and even if that twisted bit of logic explains the problem men have with these artists and their music, where does that leave women? What about all the women who are offended by this music? Or have all the listeners of bro country and Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” become so desensitized to the thoughts and feelings of females that they can’t imagine them doing anything but shaking their asses on tailgates?

Now, I can’t truthfully say I hate all this music, and there are good or decent songs in all of these artists’ catalogues. I’m not close-minded enough to say everything they release is pure shit, and I will be the first to praise good material from them. As far as Sam hunt, some of his music would be fine in pop, it’s just not country. But can you not understand how offensive these songs are to women? We are treated like objects in these songs, as Maddie & Tae pointed out in “Girl in a Country Song.” There’s a reason that song was a hit–women everywhere related to it. It’s not a compliment to tell me to “slide that sugar shaker over here’ or to say I have a “body like a back road.” I said I wasn’t going to state my back story, but I will say that I have been “complimented” in this way, and when that’s all you hear, all it makes you feel is cheap. Women want to be told we’re beautiful, not just sexy, and we want to be appreciated for our minds, not just our bodies. And we have dreams beyond driving around in some guy’s truck on Friday night with our bare feet on the dashboard.

And women, you’re selling yourself short if some of this doesn’t offend you. These songs objectify us and make us things to be possessed; indeed, the article even says the artists “get’ the girls. It’s why women have disappeared so drastically from the airwaves in such a short time. Who wants to listen to a song by a female? How can a woman even have an intelligent thought when all she does is drive around in a truck with a guy? Nobody wants to hear her point of view; they want to hear from the guy who’s “getting” her. Pretty much the only consistent exception on country radio is Kelsea Ballerini, and that’s because she’s sold herself short to sing about being this type of girl.

It’s fine if you like this music, I’m not attacking you for personal taste. This is not an attack on the artists either; some of them seem like perfectly nice people. This is simply about the music and the lyrics and the lessons they teach. and if you think I’m making a big deal out of this, I refer you back to the Whiskey riff article. People are simply jealous because they weren’t good-looking and popular and didn’t get the girls. The writer doesn’t even consider the girls at all in making this argument. That’s how insignificant songs like this make females. He didn’t even take into account females who might have a problem with this when he made that assumption because all he could see were losers who didn’t get them. And if a large portion, as he says, can relate to this type of music, then a large portion of the country are learning to be sexist pigs and think it’s normal. And I know this will not change a thing, but I can’t stand by either. Next time, consider your audience before you make an idiotic statement like this.

P.S. None of these artists are good-looking/sexy at all, give me a man who sings bass, and actually knows a George strait song instead of just name-checking him to sound cool.

P.P.S. Can you please refrain from writing any more stupid pieces, so I can get back to reviewing artists instead of replying to this shit?

Reviews

Album Review: William Michael Morgan–Vinyl

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Rating: 8/10

William Michael Morgan gained the attention of traditionalists about a year ago, when he released “I Met a Girl,” the decidedly country, if lyrically underwhelming, arrangement of a song written by none other than country music antichrist Sam Hunt. To some, this was a mark against him immediately; to others, myself included, this proved that Morgan cared about the traditional sound of his music. In March, his EP arrived, bringing nothing ground-breaking yet filled with promise and potential.

Review: William Michael Morgan EP

We finally got a full album from Morgan Friday, and although it’s not perfect, it’s an unapologetically country record coming out of mainstream Nashville which is a victory in itself in 2016. It’s not Haggard and Jones country, but it is Strait and Jackson and Keith Whitley country, and that’s exactly what we need right now–a mainstream artist bringing a true country sound to the masses. The Jason Isbells and Turnpike Troubadours of the world won’t get airplay; William Michael Morgan’s “I Met a Girl” will hit #1 this week. Because of this, we need to root for William Michael Morgan as much as Isbell and the Troubadours. With all that in mind, I’ll get to my thoughts on Vinyl

The album opens with “People Like Me,” a decidedly country song that could have been a hit on 90;s radio. If you read this at all, you know the importance I place on openers, and this one signifies William Michael Morgan’s country approach without apology. Many artists who are releasing pretty good albums with a few terrible singles choose the said terrible singles as openers, thereby hurting the album as a whole–Zac Brown Band’s “Beautiful drug,” anyone? The premise of “People Like Me” is an ode to the working class people who didn’t go to college and live paycheck to paycheck. “Vinyl,” the title track, follows; I have mixed opinions about this one. I quite liked it on the EP; it’s a song about an old-fashioned love that is classic like vinyl. It’s not a hookup song or disrespectful by any means, but I do find the repeated use of ‘girl” to be annoying; it’s the same thing we criticize Florida Georgia line for, so I can’t let Morgan get by with lazy lyricism even if it has country instrumentation. It’s hard to form an opinion here, and I can see how people could enjoy it or hate it.

“Missing” is one of the highlights of the album; here, Morgan escapes the world for awhile to go “on a mission to be missing.” He ignores his messages and leaves the world behind, something we all should do a little more often. The instrumentation and production combine to make this a really fun and enjoyable listen. Next is the single, “I Met a Girl,”–this has grown on me considerably since its release. It’s a very basic song about, well, meeting a girl, but although the lyrics aren’t earth-shattering, there’s a sincerity about it that really stands out. “Spend it All on You” is a nice, lighthearted track about getting away with a girl to enjoy time together. This one is one of the more modern-leaning songs on the album, but modern-leaning is the key here; it is still traditional. IN fact, the whole album stays with a definite traditional sound. “Beer Drinker” came from the EP; there is not much to say about this song. Its lyrics could be considered shallow by some, as it attributes everything that gets done to the work of beer drinkers. However, as I stated in the EP review, we all love George Strait’s “Stop and Drink,” and that doesn’t come off pandering at all. It is just a fun song that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I think “Beer Drinker” is intended to be much the same.

“I Know Who he Is” is another highlight; I wish the production were a little less modern-leaning here, but the lyrics are great. The narrator is talking to the doctor about his dad, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease;

I don’t wanna hear he’s going downhill, what about thank God he’s around still? Looking right through me’s not at all the way I see him. I don’t mind at all remembering for him, he doesn’t have to get why I adore him. He doesn’t have to know me, I know who he is.

“Cheap Cologne” carries a throwback, Keith Whitley style sound that really suits Morgan. This was one of the highlights of the EP and is about a man who lies at home in bed with his bourbon while his woman is out, probably cheating–She don’t smoke cigarettes, and I don’t wear cheap cologne.” “Something to drink About” is similar to “Beer Drinker” in that it walks a fine line between safe and shallow. It just lists all the possible reasons for drinking, which again is quite like strait’s “Stop and Drink.” This could have been left off and it would have made no difference, but it doesn’t really hurt the album either. “Lonesomeville,” co-written by William Michael Morgan, is the best of the album–it’s a classic country heartbreak song that has been told thousands of times, and that’s really all I can say about it. It speaks for itself with a listen. The album closes with “Backseat driver,” which has emerged over several listens as a dark horse for my personal favorite. It’s a song about a young man leaving home while his dad gives him advice about the road ahead and tells him, “I can’t be your backseat driver anymore.” This one isn’t as traditional as some of the others, but this one is more believable from the 22-year-old Morgan, and this authenticity makes it stand out.

Overall, this is a really solid album, especially for a debut. William Michael Morgan is perfectly clear and uncompromising in his desire to make country music with a traditional sound. The lyrics are weak in places, and there are definitely some safe songs. This album has its flaws, but it also has several standouts. Most importantly, it is filled with promise for William Michael Morgan and for mainstream country in general.

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Reviews

Review: William Michael Morgan EP

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Rating: 8/10

In the constant fight to take back country music, many people point to the outlaw movement of the 1970s and call on another Willie or Waylon–an “outlaw” who will ignore labels altogether and make the music he or she wants to make. The outlaws were responsible for turning country back from the softer, more commercial Nashville sound, and modern examples of this might be Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson, both achieving major success without the support of Nashville (although Simpson has since gained Nashville’s attention.) One could also point to Texas artists such as the Turnpike Troubadours, content to stick to their own sound and style rather than sell out for a quick road to greater fame. These “outlaws” are certainly necessary if country music is ever to be saved–but there is another kind of savior, less talked about but no less important. In 1981, one Texas-based artist was signed to MCA for one single. He was thought to be too traditional for radio, but he was given one chance. That artist was George Strait, who would go on to have arguably the biggest career in country music and who remains signed to MCA to this day. He did as much to save country music as the outlaws, but from a different, more radio-friendly angle. In 2016, we need these advocates just as much as the Jason Isbells and Turnpike Troubadours of the world, maybe more, because they are the ones who will start to turn the tide from the inside. This is why we fight and root for Chris Stapleton, Maddie & Tae, and now, William Michael Morgan.

William Michael Morgan, a 22-year-old singer-songwriter from Mississippi, caught the attention of traditionalists last year when he released the single, “I Met a Girl,” co-written by none other than country music antichrist Sam Hunt. I’ll be honest here; I was underwhelmed by the song itself, but I was impressed with Morgan’s traditional country voice and style, as well as the fact that he’d rearranged a Sam Hunt co-write into a decent country song, and I was ready to hear more. An EP is only a taste of what we can expect from an album, and it is certainly not the ideal way to judge an artist–this is the first one I’ve reviewed–but this EP reinforces my faith in William Michael Morgan as someone whom we should be watching.

The front half of the EP is slightly more radio-friendly than the back half. It is obvious William Michael Morgan and his team are trying to appeal to more modern country fans while still sounding traditional. “Vinyl” is a solid song about an old-fashioned love that is classic, like a vinyl record. I notice immediately two things: this song is very country, while still being relatively radio-friendly, and the repeated references to “girl.” This repeating of “girl” is akin to bro country and might be annoying to people, but this is a love song; it’s not a song about hooking up in a cornfield. Its lyrics are respectful, and it sounds country. Next is “Beer Drinker,” a song attributing all the things that get done, from the steak you’re eating to the hot tub you’re enjoying, to the work of beer drinkers. This could be seen as clichéd and pandering lyrically, but it comes across more like George Strait’s “Stop and Drink,” a fun, catchy song we all accept as lighthearted country that doesn’t take itself too seriously. “I Met a Girl” is next, and it works better on the album; it’s a simple love song about just this–meeting a girl and being infatuated with her. Once again, though the lyrics could be better, they are respectful and simple, and this is the type of song that could do well on radio. The thing which impresses me most with this half of the EP is how country it sounds; this is the half with songs that could be successful singles, and yet Morgan stays very country and makes his approach quite clear.

However, the weakness with the front half of the EP is the lyricism. The songs are solid, but nothing holds my attention. “Lonesomeville,” the only song co-written by William Michael Morgan, changes this. Here we have a simple, traditional country heartbreak song; the narrator is living in Lonesomeville and missing a woman who left. It’s something a thousand country songs have said before, but at the same time, this simplicity and honesty is lost to us in 2016. It’s the emotion of George Strait and Alan Jackson, simple and relatable to listeners everywhere. This simplicity is present again in “Cheap Cologne,” in which the narrator lies in bed while his woman is out at a bar, probably cheating–“She don’t smoke cigarettes, and I don’t wear cheap cologne.” This reminds me stylistically of something Keith Whitley might have sung in the late 80s, steeped in steel guitar but looking ahead to more modern country. The EP closes with “Backseat Driver,” a song about a father sending his son off with “a Bible on the dash and a map tucked in the door, I can’t be your backseat driver anymore.” This song is more modern-sounding, but the lyrics here are very strong and make it a standout.

This EP is all we have to go on with William Michael Morgan, and it’s not the best way to form an opinion of an artist, but Morgan shows a lot of potential. The strengths are his country voice and commitment to a more traditional sound. We need people like Morgan, who will sound traditional but who can bring that sound into the mainstream with simplicity and honesty. There are much better albums, and this EP certainly has its flaws, mainly the lyrics. However, William Michael Morgan is one of the bright spots in mainstream country music, and we can be thankful for another voice in the fight to take country back. I’ll be looking forward to a full-length album from him!

Listen to EP