Rating: 8/10
I’ve been a fan of Cody Jinks ever since I bought his last two albums. His style of country music, as well as his vocal delivery, really appeals to me. Therefore, when I heard that he was releasing a new album, and his first on Rounder Records, I was excited to hear it. Now that I have, I can safely say that he’s still making some of the best country music today.
The songs on this album have various themes. The track I like the most, though, is the cover of “Stranger”. It’s all about how he doesn’t recognize the man in the mirror. He’s getting older, but it doesn’t fit with the way he sees himself. I just really like this kind of reflective song. My second favorite is the title track, “Lifers”. It’s all about the struggles of the working man. No matter how hard things get, he keeps on going. It reminds me of people I know who do the same, and i think this kind of song is something we should hear more often.
“Colorado” is a slower love song that I liked upon first hearing it. The melody is one that’s stuck in my head, and in the song, he’s saying that he hopes the woman he used to be with doesn’t believe that he never thinks about her or Colorado, because that’s simply not true. I also really enjoyed the fun and upbeat “Big Last Name”, which is all about a woman marrying someone with a big last name and lots of money just to keep the privileges she’s grown up with all of her life. “Must Be the Whiskey” is a song I like for its melody as well as the catchy chorus. The man in the song is tormented by a past love, and he’s trying to remember and drinking to forget. “Desert Wind” is interesting both lyrically and instrumentally. The tempo is somewhere in the middle, and the melody is darker. It’s the story of a man on a journey to Mexico, who ultimately didn’t find what he was searching for and came back home. It stood out to me because of its uniqueness.
The rest of the songs are likable, not bad, though not ones that stood out quite as much. My least favorite is probably “Head Case”, just because it hasn’t really stuck with me at all. I also find “Holy Water”, the opening track, a bit forgettable, though the song’s instrumentation is definitely fun.
The thing I really appreciate about this album is that all of the songs aren’t the same thematically. There’s songs about life’s struggles, leaving a relationship, remembering past love, and even one about making an unfortunate trip to Mexico. Along with that, I love how the tempos and instrumentation are varied. I can definitely say that you never get bored while listening to this album. The steel guitar is awesome, and there was even some piano, which I think is a very under-used instrument in country music. This is definitely one of the liveliest albums I’ve heard this year, in terms of musicianship.
Overall, Lifers is another solid addition to the discography of Cody Jinks. It’s fun, thought-provoking, and full of country instrumentation. While it doesn’t reach the great heights of Adobe Sessions or I’m Not the Devil, that’s okay. It doesn’t have to. As long as Cody Jinks keeps making consistent country music like this, I’ll keep on listening.