Metal Review: Korn Slays With "Rotting in Vain"

In the grand scheme of things, nu metal was a short-lived phase of mainstream heavy metal, lasting only a handful of years before money-hungry bands exhausted the genre with over-simplification and truly terrible lyrics. Despite all of that, several artists stood out, and Korn was among them. I myself preferred artists like FLAW and Motograter (the band Ivan Moody was in before he started screaming incoherently for Five Finger Death Punch), but Korn never seemed to fall short of making truly interesting, good music, and 26 years after the release of their wonderful debut album, they're set to return with their twelfth studio album The Serenity of Suffering on October 21st. "Rotting in Vain" has been released as a first single, and to say it's good would be an understatement.

The song kicks off with an interesting guitar line. I wouldn't call it dissonant in this case, but it sets the somber mood. Eerie, unsettling leads are a staple of Korn's sound, particularly on albums featuring both Head and Munky on guitar. As a band that has never shied away from dark subject matter, leading into a song in such a way is undoubtedly effective. At about 25 seconds the song bursts into Korn's signature down tuned 7 string guitars before breaking into the first verse.

The vocals and lyrics in "Rotting in Vain" are classic tormented Jon Davis as he describes the horrible feeling of being stuck in a painful state of mind. The chorus is extremely catchy, but perhaps what has fans most excited is the return of Davis' "scat" vocals after the second verse, where Davis launches himself into unintelligible utterances scattered among audible lines like "I can't fake this." I found that this section of the song sounded like a racing mind put to music, if that makes any sense, and it helped the song have as much impact as possible. One listen to "Rotting in Vain" and it's clear that Jon Davis is in top form vocally and lyrically. 

Overall, "Rotting in Vain" is a very good single from Korn and it has me looking forward to the new album in October. 7/10

Upcoming Reviews:

Mark Chesnutt--Tradition Lives

Sarah Jarosz--Undercurrent

Jake Owen--American Love

Lori McKenna's "The Bird & the Rifle" is a Lesson in Songwriting

If there is one thing that's good about modern mainstream country, it's that songwriters are probably more well-known than they've ever been in the genre's history. Some are well-known because they're idiots, like Dallas Davidson, while others like Lori McKenna have garnered praise and respect for recent #1 singles like Little Big Town's "Girl Crush" and Tim McGraw's "Humble and Kind." While I'm no fan of "Girl Crush" (which may have more to do with the horribly irritating Little Big Town than the song itself), "Humble and Kind" is an excellent song that thankfully reached #1 on country radio. 

Despite radio play when her songs are recorded by other artists, don't expect to hear Lori McKenna on your mainstream country station any time soon. It'd be absolutely startling and wonderful to hear one of her songs played between Jason Aldean's most recent atrocity and whatever random sequence of words that Florida Georgia Line is throwing together these days, but I will be honest and say that I don't expect it to happen. McKenna fits more into the Americana realm, and most artists would prefer that their peers be wonderfully talented people like Jason Isbell as opposed to the aforementioned goon squad of Aldean and FGL. Thankfully, Americana is where The Bird & the Rifle finds its home.

This album has so many strengths that I'll get the one minor weak spot out of the way--McKenna is a capable vocalist, but she's not going to partake in any vocal acrobatics or hit any crazy high notes. At the same time, it doesn't seem like a weakness because she sings with such conviction. Their voices don't sound even remotely alike, but McKenna reminds me very much of Chris Knight in that they both capture their material with overwhelming conviction in their voices. Whatever comes out of Lori McKenna's mouth, listeners will feel it.

Lyrically, The Bird & the Rifle has one excellent line after another, and each song rings true to human experience, which is something I look for as a music fan. Album opener "Wreck You" has an excellent chorus that begins with "I don't know how to pull you back/I don't know how to pull you close/all I know is how to wreck you," as if to say, "when things go wrong, they just go wrong." The wonderful "Giving Up On Your Hometown" has perhaps the most breathtaking line on the album: "It feels like even the ghosts are getting out/Giving up on your hometown." There's so much to be had from the lyrics that I think I'll allow listeners to enjoy the experience without any more spoilers.

As far as instrumental arrangements and production are concerned, McKenna and producer Dave Cobb do a nice job of making sure everything compliments the overwhelming and powerful lyrics. Most of the time, that called for sparse instrumentation, mostly chord patterns backed by light percussion. There are some accenting instruments here and there that definitely add something, but The Bird & The Rifle is a songwriter's record first and foremost, as enjoyable with just a guitar and microphone as it would be with an expanded band. In the music industry, Dave Cobb understands that bells and whistles more often than not are used to mask sub-par material, and that is perhaps the main reason he's currently the most respected producer in country and Americana. Paired with McKenna's excellent lyrics, Cobb's production made each song better and played a huge role in making The Bird & the Rifle one of the best albums to be released so far in 2016. 9/10

Standout songs:
"Wreck You"
"The Bird & the Rifle"
"Giving Up On Your Hometown"
"Humble & Kind"
"All These Things"

Single Review--Brantley Gilbert's Atrocious "The Weekend"

Heaven help me figure out which Brantley Gilbert is the real Brantley Gilbert so that I can gather an angry mob to push him in whichever direction he feels is his musical identity. Until he drops the facade of his other persona and either establishes himself as a truly talented artist or just another party-anthem oxygen thief, I can't take this dude seriously. And this is coming from a person who was once a Brantley Gilbert supporter, back when he sang properly and released more substantial music than drivel, but those days appear to be long gone thanks to his most recent single, "The Weekend." 

Don't get me wrong--I see things like Brantley Gilbert working with Wounded Warrior Project and other side projects for good causes, so I acknowledge that he doesn't seem like a bad dude by any means, but his mainstream singles are so contradictory of who he seems to be that I find it frustrating that I have to tolerate party-hardy Brantley Gilbert in order to hear his more substantial music. All things considered, I wouldn't call this single review a personal attack, but more of a plea to a talented artist to drop the shtick and just be himself.

Country radio Brantley Gilbert is that try-hard guy at every party who nobody really wants to be there, but he won't go home, continues to make as much noise as possible, routinely annoying everybody until he realizes he's the last person left and heads home in his perpetual loneliness. Album cut Brantley Gilbert has a soft and sensitive side and a real penchant for writing substantial music. Is there still a little rough edge to him? Of course, but the quality of music between one and the other is miles apart, and at this point I want him to just pick one and run.

You can guess which side of the fence "The Weekend" lands on.

What we have here is three minutes and some odd seconds of Gilbert's cookie-monster growl-vocals and a basic rock/hip hop arrangement with a banjo layered over the top so some idiotic critic can say, "hey look! It's still country! There's a banjo." Well, unfortunately for Gilbert, not every critic overlooks the fact that, while country music evolves, it doesn't evolve into something that doesn't even remotely resemble what it originally was. Genres of music simply do not become other genres of music through their evolutionary process. For a piece of music to legitimately fit into a specified genre, it has to have elements that represent what that genre is, and "The Weekend" is about as country as a parking meter. Lyrically, it's banal and irritating, filled with over-used cliches. The arrangement is like listening to two wrecked cars with still-working radios blaring at full volume.

And might I add that I find it egregious for an artist who claims to have gotten sober to continue to promote binge-drinking. Hey, it's perfectly okay to sing about having a good time, but to actively promote a real problem in America while claiming to have beaten the sauce himself is completely irresponsible and undoubtedly stupid.

If you consider yourself a fan of real country music, "The Weekend" will get your blood boiling and turn your Brantley Gilbert tolerance all the way down to zero. 0/10

Brandy Clark Exposes Small Town Skeletons

Brandy Clark is known for her sharp wit and mature perspective. Admittedly, her debut album 12 Stories was not a record that I dove into headfirst. I had heard a few selections, but I wasn't too invested in Clark until I saw her perform "Hold My Hand" with Dwight Yoakam at the 2015 Grammy Awards. It was refreshing to see country music represented by, well, country music. Fast forward a year or so to June 10th of 2016 and Big Day in a Small Town hit the shelves.

"Soap Opera" gets things started and it all but sums up the recurring theme on the record. Discussing small town drama spurred by bored people who wave and smile in public but don't hold back any of their baseless criticism behind the scenes, "Soap Opera" addresses a very real problem in rural America. Next in line is the lead single, "Girl Next Door," and I'd rather not rant about one bad song on album that is otherwise very solid. It's one moment that panders for radio play. Deselect it if you're going to buy a digital copy of this album. 

"Homecoming Queen" stops time at track 3, capturing the story of somebody who meets the harsh reality of life after popularity in their youth. It is without a doubt one of the stronger songs on Big Day in the Small Town. Up next is "Broke," which is chock full of great lines referring to being perpetually short on cash in a place where work options aren't always the most high-paying. The narrator seems to find peace with the reality in "Broke," which is something I think is observable in small town life. 

"You Can Come Over" follows and is a hard-hitting portrayal of an on-and-off relationship between friends, culminating in this final line from the chorus--"You can come over, but you can't come in." Without a doubt, "You Can Come Over" is another standout song. At track 6 is "Love Can Go to Hell," a song that uses a nice double meaning in the title to talk about the ways that things go wrong, and ends with the narrator disenchanted with the whole idea.

Next is another standout in "Three Kids No Husband." The song details the struggles of a single mother working multiple jobs to try to keep up with bills. Clark's expertise as a composer and lyricist are in full display on this wonderful song. "Daughter" and "Drinkin', Smokin', Cheatin'" come next and both are witty and fun, but are not standout tracks.

Without a doubt, Big Day in a Small Town closes out with its best song--"Since You've Gone to Heaven." Written by Clark and Shane McAnally, "Since You've Gone to Heaven" focuses on the way a family can disintegrate after the death of a loved one, particularly the individual who seemed to draw everybody together. The narrator discusses her father's death, saying, "Since you've gone to heaven, the whole world's gone to hell." 

It goes without saying that Brandy Clark really excels with more emotional material. Very few artists release albums that are mostly bleak--even Jason Isbell's Southeastern kicked the rock 'n' roll up a few notches on a handful of songs in order to avoid monotony. Clark does an adequate job with upbeat material, but it's not up to par when compared to her more emotional songs, which knocks this album down a few notches, for me. Overall, Big Day in a Small Town is still a solid release from a very talented singer/songwriter. 7/10

David Nail Fights for Substance in Nashville

David Nail is not a name that immediately comes to mind for most general country music listeners, the people who turn on the radio each day but don't dig deep enough to know that there are excellent artists toiling beneath the surface, some on major labels and some at the independent level, who are not only writing and recording tangible, substantial music, but are now starting to slip singles into the top 40. Some of these artists have become household names like Chris Stapleton; some, like the recently reviewed Jon Pardi and David Nail, have watched their most recent singles start slowly, then gain steam and climb the charts.

David Nail released "Night's on Fire" as a single all the way back on July 20th of 2015. It was almost an entire year before Nail's fourth album Fighter was released on July 15th of 2016. After a handful of listens, it's safe to say that the wait was worth it, and that David Nail represents something that mainstream country radio is in danger of losing--substance. 

Don't get the wrong idea about Fighter, though. Not every song is deep, dark, and emotional. Substance doesn't necessarily signify deep and dark material--upbeat and joyful music can be substantial if composed with care and respect for the art form, which is something David Nail has always been able to do.

The album kicks off with three catchy, upbeat songs. "Good at Tonight" is a great collaboration with Brothers Osborne, who lend vocals and guitar to the song. "Night's On Fire" is the lead single that has been hanging around the charts for over a year now. It's a lot like "Whatever She's Got" from I'm a Fire. It doesn't necessarily sound like the rest of the album, but it fits in nicely and does its job, giving Nail a lead single that eventually allowed Fighter to be released in the first place. "Ease Your Pain" is interesting but not all that deep, and I'd probably call it the weakest track on the album. I don't skip it but I don't get lost in it, either.

"Home" is where Fighter begins to leave its mark. Co-writer Lori McKenna lends her vocals to this song, and her voice helps the song reach its potential. "Home" is the best tribute to a hometown that I've ever heard, and it takes the listener back in time from the first verse. The chorus begins with the lines "It's where you're from/it's your oldest friend/you think it will forget you when you go but you know it'll take you back in." Lyrics have always been the strength of David Nail's songwriting, and with "Home" being his first co-write on the album, it's no surprise that it establishes itself as a standout track after one listen.

"Lie With Me" follows and is a song first recorded by Lady Antebellum. It's not exceptional but it's catchy and could potentially be another single, so it serves its purpose. "I Won't Let You Go" comes next at track 6 and is another collaboration. Vince Gill lends harmonies and his incredible guitar work to the song, especially in the gripping guitar intro. Gill's guitar and Nail's vocals have a nice little interplay going on in the verses as Nail describes the fighting between a husband and wife, before leaving no doubt about his devotion to the marriage in the chorus. Perhaps the most interesting part of this song is how the subject matter and instrumental arrangement clash, in a way. I assume it's meant to portray that, in a relationship, there are always two sides, there are always peaks and valleys. Needless to say, "I Won't Let You Go" is another standout.

Next is my favorite song on the album, and perhaps my favorite David Nail song to date. "Fighter" takes a look at Nail's struggles with depression and the support of his wife through those struggles. Lyrically, "Fighter" is introspective and aware, steering away from the narrator's battle and giving appreciation for the devotion of the other character. The song opens with the line, "Don't think that I don't see the way you struggle/watching me struggle," which sums up the song perfectly. Rather than selfishly stating, "I'm hurting," Nail says, "I know that it's hard on you, too." The choruses in the song end with the line "I never knew I had a fighter." "Fighter" is uplifting and open, but also a testament to the kind of love and support it takes to make any relationship work.

Next is "Babies" at track 8. Nail and his wife welcomed a set of twins to the world in December of 2015. The song touches on the surreal feeling of the event, along the time they'd spent beforehand, trying to conceive. "Babies" is another standout and, paired with "Fighter," marks the strongest point of the album, centering around two tangible songs that many people will relate to. These two songs will be very therapeutic for listeners, and could easily be the two most important non-singles of Nail's career. After the release of Fighter, many fans will go to Nail's performances hoping to hear "Fighter" and "Babies," and I will certainly be a part of that group.

"Got Me Gone" delivers a much-needed break from highly emotional songs, detailing how quickly a person can be smitten through fierce attraction. "Champagne Promise" follows and, along with a great chorus, has wonderful harmonies courtesy of the immensely talented Logan Brill.

The album closes out with "Old Man's Symphony," which is another collaboration. Bo and Bear Rhinehart of NEEDTOBREATHE lend their talents to this excellent tribute to Nail's father. It's one more deep and emotional song on an album full of substantial material just waiting to thrill listeners and make them think about their own lives.

Overall, Fighter is without a doubt the best album of David Nail's career and will hopefully play an important role in bringing substance back to mainstream country. 9/10

Frankie Ballard Goes Organic on El Rio

It's a bit of a shame, but you rarely hear a song on modern country radio without some sort of unnatural vocal effect or computer-generated drum beat, not to mention odd sounds here and there that can't be produced by a traditional instrument. It's an epidemic in a genre that has historically stuck to instrumental arrangements that can be performed live. Frankie Ballard tackles this issue on the solid, if not spectacular El Rio. The album was recorded in Texas at the famed Sonic Ranch studio.

Disclaimer: one downside to this album is that there's almost no country influence, I'm not even sure what genre I'd put it in--heartland rock comes to mind but I can't hear John Mellencamp singing these songs in my head. At the same time, country radio is inundated with non-country songs, so if it has to be that way, at least Ballard released an album of more good music than bad. Not that I willingly make that concession but with the current reality of the genre in the mainstream, it has to be done.

Perhaps the most confusing thing about El Rio is that most of the songs are either great or instantly forgettable. Only the lead single, "It All Started With a Beer" skirts the line of mediocrity. The song isn't going to make you cringe, but it's not going to make you think, either, and by the time it's over the listener is left with no lasting effect.

Every other song on the album is either enthralling or terrible. The album opens with the fantastic "El Camino," which boasts the album's most singable chorus and a catchy guitar riff that will get stuck in listener's heads. At this point one has high expectations for El Rio, but then the next three songs change things completely. "Cigarette" opens with perhaps the most annoying guitar riff I've ever heard, and the chorus clashes on the ear drums. The lyric centers around a man wanting to be the cigarette dangling from a beautiful woman's mouth. While the idea is fine, the execution was a disaster. It's a skip track, to say the least. Next in line is perhaps the biggest head-scratcher on the album in "Wasting Time." The song sports a catchy arrangement and chorus, but Ballard says the word "girl" so many times it becomes a distraction, and the song never recovers despite its solid foundation. It's not that this song is terrible overall, it's that it has one fatal flaw that can't be overlooked.

 Unfortunately for listeners, " A Little Bit of Both" hits a new low as track four. It's the one blatant attempt at radio play on El Rio, dropping the names Jerry Jeff Walker and Jay Z next to each other at one point, which just makes no sense. To be completely honest, if you're buying the digital format of this album, just deselect track 4 and save yourself the horror.

"L.A. Woman" is where things get interesting again.  Ballard and his band kick things off with an odd but gripping guitar line, and from there "L.A. Woman" develops into foot-stomping celebration of a song. The pre-chorus kicks in and the listener is hooked before the chorus even comes around. This song is a definite standout track.

After the lead single at track six, a great song called "Sweet Time" blesses our ears. The song talks of a man and a woman taking their "Sweet time in a real fast car," The verses are a little clunky at times, but the chorus is perfect. "Sweet Time" is destined to be a single, as far as I'm concerned. At this point we come to the strongest song on the album, the excellent "Good as Gold," which uses an odd song structure that keeps listeners guessing before jumping into an excellent guitar solo to close everything out. It's hard to describe this song without selling it short, so all I'll say is give it a listen.

After two great songs, the album balances itself again with the boring and banal "Southern Side," It's not entirely offensive to the ears, but the lyrics really drive it down and make it another skip track.

Luckily, that's the end of El Rio's failures, as the album closes out with two great songs, a nice cover of Bob Seger's "You'll Acomp'ny Me" and the album's second best song, "You Could Have Loved Me." It's the softest, most reflective song on the album, which has been a trait of many modern rock albums. Though it has its shortcomings, El Rio starts and ends well with some very good songs in between. Overall, it's more than worth a listen and though I don't highly recommend it, I don't think listeners should overlook it, either.

6/10

Jon Pardi Shines on Refreshingly Traditional California Sunrise

I've often found myself frustrated with two things since I've graduated from college--1. I wasn't writing and 2. I hadn't yet started a blog of some sort where I could review country music albums or albums being dangled into the country landscape despite very little to no country influence. The state of the genre is important to me, and as a passionate music fan, I find it vital that us studied country music fans have a medium with which we can reach as many people as possible. My good buddy Kirby Lund has been reviewing films for awhile now on his excellent Stubs and Tubs blog (stubsandtubs.blogspot.com), and that gave me inspiration to start my own blog, which right now has the working name of The Hayloft (which I like, but name ideas would be greatly appreciated!). After the initial setup, here we are with my first official review--California Sunrise by Jon Pardi.

California Sunrise opens with a statement, the aggressively traditional "Out of Style," a five minute romp about how the themes and tropes of classic country music are still alive in real life and in the good country music of today. At this point, you know what Jon Pardi represents and what he sets out to do with his music. The second song is the undeniably catchy "Cowboy Hat," the song that this listener hopes is the next single from the album. After the success of "Head Over Boots," I think Pardi has a chance to further his cause with "Cowboy Hat," a fiddle heavy ode to his lover dancing around in his cowboy hat and nothing else. Even with the obvious nods to sex, the song has an innocent charm to it that should warm even the hearts of snobby radio listeners who get their drawers in a bunch over any little inconsequential thing. With other, lesser artists releasing much more blatant sex songs that aren't nearly as well written, I think Pardi has the potential to score a fast-rising #1 with "Cowboy Hat."

The third song on the album is already the biggest hit of Jon Pardi's career. "Head Over Boots" may not be the deepest song in the world, but what it stands for in regard to mainstream country radio makes it the most important single on radio right now, in my opinion. "Head Over Boots" is layered in fiddle and steel, with a recognizable dance hall melody and a tangible message of a long-standing relationship. It's a song suited for the dance floor, and I mean real dancing, not the spastic drunken nonsense that you see from people trying to dance to something created by a computer.

After 3 songs, California Sunrise endears itself to its listeners and creates a loyalty that'll hold tight through the album's few missteps. The fourth track is "Night Shift," another ode from a man to his lover about their late night bedroom activities. The lyric is nothing special, and perhaps the song is saved somewhat by a tasteful guitar solo in the outro, but "Night Shift" is the first song on the album that might not become a concert standard for Pardi. "Can't Turn You Down" follows but breaks no new ground. It's a solid song with a nice chorus and great use of fiddle and steel but it isn't a definite favorite of mine. At this point we reach track six, which is the low point of California Sunrise. "Dirt on My Boots" is probably a song that Pardi had to record to even have the album released, something we've seen on recent albums by Nashville's better artists like David Nail and with the most recent release from Brady Clark, where one song clashes with the rest of the album but might fit on radio. "Dirt on My Boots" isn't over-the-top bad, but it was written by the clown car of Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure, and Ashley Gorley, songwriters who have tagged their names to some great songs over the years but most recently are responsible for much of the drivel on the radio. "Dirt on My Boots" is mildly irritating but Pardi found a way to make it tasteful and tolerable. Nevertheless, I still skip it when I listen to the album.

After that disappointment, the album redeems itself with perhaps its most traditional song--"She Ain't In It." It's the classic "I'll do it as long as she ain't involved" conversation between a man and his friend. This song has what I would call a staunchly traditional arrangement, even more so than "Out of Style." I can hear George Strait singing this song in my head, and that's good thing.

The next two songs are up to par, if not overly enthralling. "All Time High" and "Heartache on the Dance Floor" will get stuck in listeners' heads, particularly the tangible subject covered in the latter. Pardi sings about meeting a girl at a bar one night but never getting her name or number, returning to the same bar regularly hoping she comes back. Who hasn't experienced something like that?

"Paycheck" comes next and would fit into any era of country. It's the classic "I got paid and I'm worn down by my job so I'm going to hit the bars and enjoy myself" song. "Lucky Tonight" comes next and is also a classic story told many times through country music history, that of a man going out hoping to find somebody who will distract him form the pain caused by a breakup. These two songs obviously don't break new ground but they are refreshing to hear on a mainstream country album instead of some clumsy hip hop beat and auto-tune.

Last but not least is the wonderful title track, a tribute to the beauty of, you a guessed it, a California sunrise, and of course there's a comparison to the narrator's love interest. Imagery is a big part of this song, with plenty of great lines like "Everything about her felt like home." It's one of the best tracks on the album and closes it out nicely.

Overall, the best part of California Sunrise is the positive impact it could have on country radio if Jon Pardi and his label play their cards right with the songs they release as singles. There are plenty of standouts to choose form between "Cowboy Hat," "She Ain't in It," and "California Sunrise." I suspect none of these to be the next single but I wouldn't put it past Pardi's camp to pull off a surprise.

Once this disc ends you'll find yourself wanting to hear it again. And again after that.

8/10