Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Brantley Gilbert Needs to Give Up on This Bad Boy Bullshit

Every time an extremely talented artist achieves success, one of two things seems to happen. Either the artist drastically changes the landscape of their art form through the things that make them unique, or that artist clings to a newfound image so loyally that their art suffers at the hands of it. Brantley Gilbert falls into the latter category.

Before mainstream country fans knew Brantley Gilbert's name, it was well known to the fans lucky to stumble upon his music that he does have a rough side, and a past that speaks volumes to just how dangerous alcohol is. He has since claimed to have kicked the sauce, and yet the two lead singles from his last two albums promote binge drinking. Seems ass backward, doesn't it?

Friday saw the release of Gilbert's new album The Devil Don't Sleep, and while there are 2-3 tolerable songs and maybe one great song, most of it is radio drivel highlighted by awkward hip hop beats, Gilbert's ridiculous growl-singing that sounds like shit live, and a seeming need to remind us of how much of a badass Gilbert thinks he is. None of it is even remotely believable, which makes some of these songs awkwardly hilarious, and quite frankly, count me among the people who miss the Brantley Gilbert that sang about real things and actually sang, to boot, as opposed to this vocal style that makes it sound like he's gargling gravel.


I find so little redemption for this record. There's too much posturing, too much flag waving and chest beating. This is music for that guy compensating for something by putting a lift kit on his truck that jacks it up into orbit. Gilbert's songwriting--once his greatest asset--has devolved into pure silliness. Even the more serious songs are ridiculous. "Outlaw in Me" is poorly titled, considering the connotations of the word "Outlaw" in country music. Brantley Gilbert is no more outlaw than Luke Bryan or Jason Aldean. He's chasing trends with the rest of corporate Nashville.

"Three Feet of Water" is a breath of fresh air, and doesn't come off as preachy, but unfortunately it's the very last song on the album. Track 16. Please don't ask me how I even made it that far, because I honestly don't know. After 15 songs of terrible growl-vocals and one mainstream lyrical trope after another, even a song as great as "Three Feet of Water" couldn't do much for this record.

The Devil in Me is the continued devolution of Brantley Gilbert. He no longer writes good songs. He no longer sings properly. He's no longer a bright spot in modern country music. It's a shame, and hopefully as he ages he comes out of this Sons of Anarchy cast-off phase and begins to release good music again. 0/10

Sunday, January 29, 2017

2016 Award Winners

I've finally found the time to write again, and announcing my picks for 2016 award winners is long overdue. I'd like to once again mention just how tremendous 2016 was for substantial music, and hopefully 2017 follows suit.

2016 Song of the Year: "Fighter" by David Nail
David Nail has been open about his struggles with depression, and "Fighter" is his way of thanking his wife for being a "fighter" during the worst of times. The greatest thing about this song is that anybody can apply it to their life because so many people have struggles with depression and anxiety. The sheer power of this song is incredible.


2016 Album of the Year: I'm Not the Devil by Cody Jinks
The rise of Cody Jinks is oddly reminiscent of Sturgill Simpson's ascent. His fans are incredibly loyal, and his sound is so authentic that there seems to be no way that he'd fail to connect with any listener. I'm Not the Devil is probably the best traditional country album released since Jamey Johnson's That Lonesome Song, and that is very high praise.



2016 Concept of the Year: American Band by Drive-By Truckers
The greatest threats to the progression of American society are the collective ignorance of glaring problems by politicians and the public, as well as the suppressing of creativity and culling of expression. Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley tackle all of these topics on the very, very timely and relevant American Band. Music fans needed this album in 2016. Even the album cover, depicting an American flag at half mast, speaks volumes.


2016 Artist of the Year: Cody Jinks
It was hard not to pick Sturgill Simpson for Artist of the Year, but considering the embarrassing state of popular country music, the most important individual at any time is the person standing in line to take the torch if needed, and Cody Jinks has quickly placed himself alongside artists like Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Margo Price, and Jason Isbell. And I can't wait to see who's next.


Sunday, January 1, 2017

Mo Pitney's Sound is Great, but Behind This Guitar is Too Damn Cheesy

I want to be a huge fan of Mo Pitney. He has everything we want in a young country star--a throwback sound, songwriting chops, wit and charm and, most importantly, a voice of gold. All that being said, his first major label release Behind This Guitar is like an unending audio Hallmark card and for those of us who can't stand overly sentimental bullshit, it's almost unbearable at times.


Make no mistake, there are a handful of great songs on the album, but it's the hokey nonsense that drowns everything else out. I found myself excited during one song only to be cringing repeatedly during the next. Songs like "Clean Up in Aisle Five" are obnoxiously melodramatic. Art is meant to be a medium through which we can express things we can't in every day life--we're free to use hyperbole, to be melodramatic, to flirt with certain lines we can't normally, but there's a way to do it, and Mo Pitney can't seem to find that balance.

Even lead single "Country" has its eventual downfall in the latter half of the song when an arbitrary nod to our military members is added out of the blue. It's blatantly disrespectful to use others' military service as a means to sell singles and albums, and while I don't think Mo Pitney knows any better and did not do this intentionally, I'm hoping that in the future he'll just release songs specifically about being respectful and thankful to our veterans and those currently serving our country. This whole arbitrary "thanks guys" thing has gotten out of hand in country music and reeks of ignorance and nearsightedness.

Album highlights include "Come Do a Little Life," perhaps the only sentimental song where Pitney doesn't take it too far, Current single "Everywhere" leans in a more contemporary direction but it's well done and very interesting. "I Met Merle Haggard Today" is funny, endearing, and, considering Haggard's death in 2016, very timely. "Boy & a Girl Thing" has a nice groove and is easy to sing along to. Aside from these four songs, however, I find the album either too melodramatic or very uninteresting.

Mo Pitney has plenty of potential, and I certainly think he will be a great artist at some point in his career. Unfortunately, he's currently missing the mark. Thankfully, his current issues are very correctable and shouldn't be hindrances later in his career. 4/10