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Reviews

Collaborative Review: Jason Boland & the Stragglers–Hard Times Are Relative

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Since we’re both fans of Jason Boland & the Stragglers and have each written about them here before, it seemed only natural that we should come together to discuss their newest album, Hard Times are Relative.

Conversation

Megan: First off, and we haven’t talked about this actually, but I want to bring it up since I actually reviewed Squelch here when it came out…I actually really liked Squelch, in fact I like it overall better than this one, but there’s no doubt that it was very political, it had something to say, and the audience for it was limited. There were those like me that loved it, but that’s probably a minority opinion. That was also in 2015, and we’ve become a lot more politically divided even since then, and I don’t know how you felt about that album, but I think for Jason Boland fans in general, this record will be like a breath of fresh air after that one, more a return to his roots and what made him popular in the first place.

Brianna: I love Jason Boland & the Stragglers, so it’d be hard for them to put out something I don’t like. In regards to Squelch, I really liked it, and I believe that album has some of their best songs. Still, I agree with you that this album is a much-needed break from the more political topics covered on their previous album. I like this one for its variety in subjects and tempos.

Megan: Yeah, like a lot of albums this year and unlike in 2017, it does have variety in the tempos. This one has really gone back to their traditional side that they went away from slightly on Squelch, and instrumentally, it’s probably my favorite 2018 album so far. And not just because it’s traditional, but because of the variety. The more traditional albums I’ve heard this year have almost been too minimalist. This one has variety, from fiddle to dobro to steel to some rock guitars.

Brianna: Yes, exactly! It’s both traditional and energetic.

Megan: Right, and that’s such a hard thing to come by these days. It doesn’t have to be sleepy just because it leans traditional.
We disagree pretty strongly on our favorites lyrically with this record, but let’s first talk about the title track, which you pointed out to me on your first listen–honestly, this has become my favorite song of the year and without any serious competition.

Brianna: Oh yeah. It’s my favorite song of the year, too. It’ll be hard to beat it, I think. The story revolves around a seventeen-year-old boy and his sister, taking care of their parents’ homestead, because said parents died in a mill fire. All they have is each other, a dog, and some land. The boy goes out hunting, and on his way back home, he falls into a cavern. The great part of this song is when he’s saved by his sister and the dog, and on the way home, they stop to dress the buck she shot along the way. Though I’ve just told everyone the whole story, it’s something that should be listened to. Really, it’s incredible. A song about family sticking together, saving each other. I love it!

Megan: Well, and then there’s the fact his sister who saves him is only ten. Yeah, that’s basically the whole story, but still. There’s more to it than that, as the title suggests. Hard times are relative…when you think your life sucks, it could always be worse. But Jason Boland is not that kind of songwriter. Instead, he’d rather give you a six-minute dissertation on people who had it far worse than you.

Brianna: Yep, and that’s why Jason Boland is one of the best writers in country today. I mean, I know I said I love the energy here, but Jason Boland and a slow, lyric-driven story song like this is pretty much perfection, from my point of view.
I guess that’s why “Do You Remember When” is my second-favorite track. It’s slower, super traditional in its instrumentation, and the lyrics are all about the past. Starting with how the outskirts of town have become the city. Definitely makes this a song I was into right away.

Megan: He’s definitely one of the most interesting songwriters around, if not one of the best.
To that end, “Do You Remember When” is actually one of my least favorites because it’s too direct for me. I feel like he pulls off this theme of looking back on the past better in “Grandfather’s Theme,” wherein he’s lamenting the fact that the progress since his grandfather’s time hasn’t all been forward and questioning what advice he’d even have to give his own grandson. I get the appeal for “Do You Remember When,” but I feel like Jason Boland tells a story better this way, where he’s putting a fresh spin on it. The song is really moody and dissonant as well, which is a really cool reflection of his state of mind. We’ve had lots of songs like “Do You Remember When,” but not many like this, that actually look back on the past while also speculating about the future, like saying he’ll tell his grandson about the days of the automobile and such. Anyway, that was kind of a tangent, I really like this song, lol.

Brianna: I don’t think it was a tangent, because the songs really are similar. To my way of thinking, the songs are from two different people’s point of view. One’s very traditional, just looking back on the past. The other is legitimately worried about the future. At least, that’s my interpretation.

Megan: This is what makes the collaborations cool, though, because I could honestly do without “Do You Remember When” and love “Grandfather’s Theme,” while for you, it’s pretty much the opposite.

Brianna: Oh yeah, “Grandfather’s Theme,” while insightful, is definitely not one of my favorites. I get what they’re trying to do with all the production on that song, but…it just doesn’t quite work for me. And yes. I love how with these collaborations, you get different opinions like this.

Megan: “Bulbs” is another one I really enjoy that I remember you didn’t. As for other standouts, “Right Where I Began” is really infectious and my favorite of the more lighthearted stuff. And “Going, Going, Gone” is a really interesting song wherein he uses baseball metaphors to explain that on a full count pitch, he finally overcomes the struggle in his life and hits a home run. The rest is all pleasant and enjoyable, and I absolutely love the instrumentation all over this, but none of it stands out especially. I thought “I Don’t Deserve You” with Sunny Sweeney would be an early favorite, but it hasn’t been. But “Do You Remember When” is really the only one I dislike.

Brianna: Oh yes. I’m not a fan of “Bulbs.” It’s probably my least favorite lyrically. Instrumentally, I like “Grandfather’s Theme” the least. As for “I Don’t Deserve You,” it’s not one of my favorites, either. Like you, the faster song I enjoy the most is “Right Where I Began.” It’s just so upbeat and fun! The rest of the album isn’t bad by any means, it just doesn’t stand out like the other songs do.

Brianna: For a rating, I’d give it a 7.5. It’s not my favorite album by these guys, but it’s fun, real country. Everyone knows I’m always into that by now. What about you?

Megan: I’d give it a light 7. I do think it will grow on me, though, because it’s an album I just want to play for the sound. I love how country it is without being one, extremely minimalist or two, too trapped in the past for its own good. It’s country because of course it is, it’s Jason freaking Boland, as opposed to being country because it tried its hardest to be. The title track is fantastic, definitely listen to that if you only pick one. Solid, fun, refreshingly country album. 7 with a chance of growth.

Ratings

Megan: 7/10
Brianna: 7.5/10

Buy The Album On Amazon

Reviews

Single Review: Kenny Chesney’s “Get Along”

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Rating: 5/10

Look, we all knew this was coming, that in this especially divisive political and social climate, some mainstream country artist was going to release something about this and tell us something generic like that we should all get along. Enter Chesney, who literally calls this “Get Along” and asks if we can’t all just well, get along.

When I heard this was coming, I had a bad feeling I was going to hate it. I’m pleasantly surprised to say I don’t. It comes with a nice, bouncy melody and even some substance in the verses as he interacts with specific people and paints pictures of loneliness. It reminds me startlingly of Keith Urban’s “Female,” where the verses actually tried to go for something by giving specific examples and imagery. Kenny Chesney delivers it with some personality as well, unlike his last couple of singles.

But just like with “Female,” Shane McAnally manages to ruin this in the chorus. I can’t prove that McAnally is the one, of the three songwriters who produced this, responsible for penning the lines, “paint a wall, learn to dance, call your mom, buy a boat, drink a beer, sing a song,” but then again, it’s almost proof in and of itself. It’s the same listastic bullshit which ruined “Female” and which follows McAnally around. It takes a song which tries to say something meaningful and then inserts a list of crap which, in the case of both of these songs, has nothing to do with anything. What does painting a wall have to do with getting along with people and loving your neighbor? That’s right, nothing.

This song is pretty much harmless; I wouldn’t change the station if it came on. It’s not the offensive mess it could have been. But it’s not some deep, thought-provoking anthem that tries to unite us all either. You can’t do this with a song so transparent anyway. It takes something like the simple story in Jason Eady’s “Black Jesus,” or the sharp wit in “But You Like Country Music” from sunny Sweeney and Brennen Leigh, to really bring people from opposite backgrounds and political affiliations together. Both of those songs will stand the test of time. This is not a terrible song, but it’s far from the statement it claims to be, and ultimately, it will be quickly forgotten.

Written by: Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally, Ross Copperman

Commentary

Some Second Impressions of 2017 Albums

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Before I get to the flurry of year-end lists, I’d like to address a few things I’ve got significantly different opinions on now than when they were first reviewed. The rating is not the important thing to focus on with these year-end lists because certain things hold up over time better than others, and you will find some albums high on that list that weren’t rated as highly originally. Music changes over time, as do our reactions to it, and there are albums I’ve both overrated and underrated in 2017. This post will reflect these and hopefully shed some light on the upcoming albums list.

Albums I’ve Underrated

Robyn Ludwick–This Tall to Ride
I even said this during my midyear list, but the main reason for the underrating of this was I doubted its ability to be replayed over time, but it holds up quite well and continues to get better. Originally a 7.5, this would get a strong 8 now.

Tyler Childers–Purgatory
This just gets better with each listen. Some albums this year were great at first but had no sustainability (see below.) This still really doesn’t have one defining song, but it’s great all the way through and is one of the best albums of the year. It’s also my most played, with the possible exception of Colter Wall’s self-titled release.

Crystal Bowersox–Alive
I don’t care that this is a live album. I don’t care that a bit of the material appears on Crystal’s previous records. If there is one album I could recommend to all you critics that I see getting criminally overlooked, that I wish you would pull off your back burners and give a proper review to and consideration of in your endless lists, it’s this one. And I’ll go ahead and say it–this is the best album vocally of the year, bar none.

Zephaniah Ohora–This Highway
This one was done by Brianna, and she gave it a 9, as it rightfully deserves, but I have to say, it took me months to come around to this. And this is a brilliant album, definitely one of the best of the year.

Albums I’ve Overrated

And now for the controversial bits of this piece…

Willie Nelson–God’s Problem Child
Still a great listen, but it doesn’t have much staying power or relatability. I don’t really know what else to say.

Sunny Sweeney–Trophy
Look, I know this is high on a lot of year-end lists, and it’s a good record. It’s just, for me, not her best record. It was the album I was most looking forward to in early 2017 because I am a huge Sunny Sweeney fan, and taken as an album, there’s not much to criticize. But it hasn’t held up at all…I wish I could say more, and I did enjoy some of these songs better live, but this just didn’t stay with me.

Chris Stapleton–From a Room, Vol. 1
I’ve said it already, but if Stapleton had combined these releases, this would be a different story. As it is, we’ve got two decent albums, both with some filler, and neither with too much longevity.

Angaleena Presley–Wrangled
This is still one of the best albums of the year, but I would not give it a 10/10 if reviewing today. Still one of the top 5, maybe 3 albums of the year, but I’d have to pull back slightly from that perfect grade.

I’ve got some slightly different opinions on several other albums this year, but these are the most significant and will be most reflected in the year-end list. Above all, music is meant to be enjoyed and played, and these ratings ultimately mean nothing if the music doesn’t hold up throughout the year. I’ve tried to be less rigid in my opinions this year than in the past, and these changes are honest reflections of that. I look forward to sharing all the year-end lists with you all!

Concerts

Highlights from Medicine Stone 2017

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It’s a great thing as a proud Oklahoman to see what the Turnpike Troubadours and Jason Boland have started in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, with Medicine Stone. It’s a wonderful three-day experience of music and fellowship on the Illinois River, and I recommend going if you like Texas and Red Dirt music, or even just live music in general. The people are great too, and I was glad to go back for a second year. Last year, I tried to cover as many bands as possible–though it is physically impossible to see all of them because some of them play on different stages at the same time–so this time, I wanted to write something a little different. I thought overall, the fifth Medicine Stone was even better than the fourth, and I really enjoyed almost everyone I saw. So rather than reiterating that for a bunch of different artists, I thought I’d highlight some of the lesser known artists that impressed me, and maybe introduce some of you to their music. We all know Randy Rogers and Boland and Turnpike can put on a good show–that’s why they were the three headliners–so I want to focus more on some of the other names. (Also, if you want to see me gushing about Turnpike’s live performance ability, you’ll likely get that in a month when I attend their album release party.) Anyway, the point to be taken here is that I probably enjoyed artists I’m leaving off this list–these are just some that stood out and deserve some recognition.

Suzanne Santo

Medicine Stone came under some fire in 2016 for only having two women on the lineup. This was taken into account, and several more women were included on the 2017 list, many of them highlights of the whole weekend. I didn’t know Suzanne Santo before she took the main stage to open things Thursday night, but I am a fan now. She has a new album out that you will find a review for shortly.

Shane Smith & the Saints

Friends, if you’re not listening to Shane Smith & the Saints, you’re doing it all wrong. One of the best things I saw both last year and this year. Phenomenal harmonies, ridiculous fiddle playing, good songwriting, interesting production…just get on board with this band. Massively underrated. I don’t know why more people aren’t writing about them. And for the ones who are already in on the awesomeness, go see them live. Also, you’ll be glad to know they are working on a new record!

Shinyribs

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Shinyribs aren’t going to be for everyone, as proven by my cousin’s reaction to this. But they should be, and I do hope they will keep coming back to Medicine Stone. I’ve been wanting to see them live since I discovered their latest album, and yeah, it lives up to everything you hear about it. Just fun. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and I like that. Get on board with them as well.

Sunny Sweeney

This was Sunny Sweeney’s first time at Medicine Stone, and all I can say is, please bring her back. One of the best performers as far as the more country side of Red Dirt goes. And really good interaction with us all. Also, just saying, she needs to record that lovely song she sang for us called “Whiskey Richard.” Just saying. She said it won’t get cut, but I think it should. I’d also like to point out that as a huge Sunny Sweeney fan but not necessarily a huge Trophy fan, I actually liked the songs from that album much better after hearing them live. Her personality made them come alive a lot more onstage.

Red Shahan

I’d like to apologize to the entire Medicine Stone community for not seeing Red Shahan last year–as I said, it’s physically impossible to see everyone, but I heard a lot of people tell me I should have seen him, and you know what? They were right. Good Lord, this is just a cool artist. Just as I said Sunny stood out among the more country artists, Red Shahan stood out among the artists with more rock leanings. He definitely needs to come back.

jaime lin wilson

Jamie Lin Wilson

Jamie Lin Wilson played at a smaller stage this year, and I was upset at first because she’d been on the main stage in 2016–but she shines in this intimate setting. She was one of the standouts last year, and she was even better this time. Also, I may have gotten to hear a song she wrote that Evan Felker added a verse to, and yes, it will be on the new Turnpike album. And Jamie Lin, we need some more new music from you soon.

Kaitlin Butts

The opposite of what I said about Jamie Lin applies to Kaitlin Butts–she was moved from a smaller stage to the main stage, and this is much better for her. All that attitude and energy is freer in this setting. She said she’s been to Medicine Stone all five years, and she should keep coming. Another one of these that’s massively underrated. Maybe not quite as much now after her song with Flatland Cavalry, but still. Get to know her, she’s one of Oklahoma’s best-kept secrets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88mlm-L2l_A

Jason Boland & the Stragglers

Okay, I’m breaking my own rule. Last year, Turnpike blew me away,and this year it was Jason Boland, and even though I’m trying to focus on lesser-known artists, I can’t ignore the outstanding live show that Jason Boland & the Stragglers put on. Best headliner I saw, and a tie between this and Shane Smith & the Saints for the best thing I heard all weekend. Something especially sweet when you get to sit there as an Oklahoman watching an Oklahoma-based band absolutely murdering the song “If I Ever Get Back to Oklahoma.”

Reviews

Album Review: Jon Wolfe’s Any Night in Texas is One Giant Cliché

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Rating: 3.5/10

Remember when I said in Texas, just like Nashville, there are basically two paths? One is the more serious, singer-songwriter path, and the other is the more commercial one, and neither are inherently awful. In fact, I like Aaron Watson’s latest record just fine; that’s a fun, uncomplicated album, and there are a few deeper songs sprinkled in as well. But the point is, I’m not criticizing Jon Wolfe and Any Night in Texas because it’s not some groundbreaking Texas country masterpiece–it’s just that it’s one cliché after another, and instead of being fun and lighthearted, it’s mostly just generic bullshit. And if it came out of Nashville, we’d all be saying so, but since it’s Texas-flavored, we hesitate–but if I’m going to sit here and praise the considerable amount of good pouring out of Texas and Oklahoma, I also can’t ignore the bad that comes with it.

It’s not as if Jon Wolfe hasn’t made safe, commercial-sounding Texas country before, but the amount of moonlit back roads and riding shotgun all over this record would rival that on some of Luke Bryan’s albums–also, I thought bro country had died? And when I said Texas-flavored, just look at the title; “any night in Texas” is perfect here because it’s all the worn-out clichés of mainstream country, plus songs like “Boots on a Dance floor” to make the album more Texan. But just because it’s more Texan, that doesn’t mean it’s more (dare I say it) authentic–just because Wolfe says in the title track that wild kisses on back roads can happen “any night in Texas,” are we supposed to think this is any better or more original than mainstream songs saying the same damn thing? And if we’re not on back roads, you guessed it, we’re in clubs and bars. “Airport Kiss” is essentially a request by this guy in a bar to have his girlfriend make out with him right there as if they were in the airport, or as if he were about to go to war. And then there’s “A Country Boy’s Life Well-Lived,” which wastes some truly great fiddle on pandering lyrics about a hard-working man; we get “cold beer,” “boots,” “American made”–you get the picture.

Sunny Sweeney arrives on the heartbreak song “Drink for Two,” and I felt sure her appearance would save this track. She does make it better, but even this is a little of a letdown; the song is saying that the only good thing about losing each other is that they can now drink twice as much. To be fair to this song, I think it could have been better with more interesting production…and that leads me to my next point.

There’s nothing wrong with making fun songs and albums, and look, clichés aren’t always the end of the world. It’s just that if you’re going for this, you need to make the production lively and interesting, and through most of this record, it’s anything but that. I heard it described as stiff, and that’s a great way to put it; if you’re going to make songs like this, at least do it right. And this goes even more for Texas artists than Nashville artists because Texas artists have such a commitment to live music. I don’t even think these songs would sound interesting live.

So, the brightest spots here are the aforementioned “Drink for Two” and the closer, “Long Song.” I did think sunny Sweeney would have made the former a highlight, but like I said, the production really took that song down. Still, that one is at least more interesting. “Long Song” is another one in a club or a bar, but it’s got a better premise, as the narrator is hoping for more time to spend with this woman, but if it’s their last dance at the end of the night, he at least wants it to be a long song. This one, again, is more interesting, and it tries to go a little deeper than the surface.

There are a couple of other brighter moments on the album too, and right now you might be wondering why I didn’t just feature some of this in “Memorable Songs.” Well, several reasons. One, even the brighter moments are honestly not memorable, and I don’t think I’ll return to any of this. Two, because Texas artists and independent artists should be judged equally with the mainstream, and if this came out of Nashville, we’d all be quick to criticize it. It’s not better just because it came out of Texas. Three, honest criticism from me adds to the validity of my praise of artists within the Texas scene, and when I say John Baumann made a damn good record, you can believe that and not question whether I’m biased toward Texas and Red Dirt music. And finally, and most importantly, because Texas artists can learn a lesson from Nashville; you have freedom to be yourself in the Texas scene, so use it. Don’t try to cater to trends, it usually always fails spectacularly. Be a Jason Eady or be an Aaron Watson, but don’t be something you’re not, especially when you don’t have to in order to please some label–it’s not the lighthearted material on this album that kills it, it’s the clichés, the way it sounds fake, and perhaps most of all, the way Jon Wolfe just sounds bored here. I don’t care what type of artist Jon Wolfe wants to be, but it’s obvious this record isn’t him, and at the end of the day, I just want to hear Jon Wolfe. I wish I heard him on Any Night in Texas, and I’m sorry to say I don’t.

Listen to Album

The Decent

The Texas-Flavored Cliché