When one considers all of the ways in which Drive-By Truckers differ from other artists, it's hard to fathom how they've now released perhaps the most important album of their career, American Band, by treading well-worn lyrical paths. American Band is ripe with social commentary, a lyrical masterpiece in that Hood and Cooley veer away from any kind of protest agenda and instead tell needed stories that neither preach nor perpetuate any specific political statement. The main theme of the record seems to be that certain things in our society are wrong and in need of fixing. That might be obvious to any aware citizen, but the songs on this album speak for themselves.
Gun violence is a recurring theme on American Band, but Hood and Cooley focus more on the individuals that do such things as opposed to their weapon of choice. Despite what their stances may be on potential legislation, these two songwriters still have the necessary understanding that people are the primary issue. It's a refreshing perspective in this day and age where everybody shares their two cents regardless of how educated they are on the topic. Standout track "Guns of Umpqua" (Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, OR, was the site of a shooting in 2015) has some of the best lyrics that I have ever heard. "We're all standing in the shadows of our noblest intentions of something more/Than being shot in a classroom in Oregon," sings Hood, just one of many fantastic lines in the song. With "Guns of Umpqua," Hood flashes back and forth between wholesome memories of a life well lived and a narrative of the present depicting the narrator and others trying to barricade their classroom door as they hear a shooter in the hallway. I see it as Hood's way of addressing the sad reality that it's hard to feel safe at any time.
"Ramon Casiano" sits at track one and is Mike Cooley's way of setting the mood for American Band. Casiano was a young Hispanic killed by eventual NRA leader Harlon Carter in 1931, a case that largely resembles modern "stand your ground" cases, as Carter claimed that Casiano threatened him with a knife. He was initially convicted of murder but the conviction was eventually overturned. Thankfully, the song is about the two people in question and not the weapon of choice. It's very apparent that Drive-By Truckers meant for American Band to focus on the main problem in American society--the people themselves.
"What it Means" is the lead single, and Hood uses damn near six and a half minutes to detail both the progress we've made and the problems that we unfortunately still have. "I mean, Barack Obama won/and you can choose where to eat/but you don't see too many white kids lying bleeding on the street," Hood sings, begging us to stop pretending that progress means that all of our problems are gone. Perhaps the most important line of the song is when Hood sings, "And when they turned him over/they were surprised there was no gun/I mean, he must have done something/or else why would he have run?/and they'll spin it for the anchors on the television screen/so we can shrug and let it happen without asking what it means."
"Once They Banned Imagine" is one more standout on an album full of great songs. Mike Cooley discusses the culling of artistic expression in our society and how that plays a role in the issues that continue to plague our nation. I would assume that the song also has something to do with the longtime controversy surrounding John Lennon's "Imagine." Lyrically, "Once They Banned Imagine" isn't as clear as I'd like it to be, but then again the best songs leave something to be deciphered. It's one more great song written by Mike Cooley.
American Band is an album with a dangerous concept in the hands of lesser songwriters, but because Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley are capable of addressing such topics without grandstanding on their own perspectives, it's a miraculous achievement that hopefully reaches as many ears as possible. While those hyper-sensitive to these issues might cast American Band as leftist propaganda, that'll only go to show that they didn't truly listen to the music and lyrics. American Band is an album about people problems, and that's what sets it apart from past albums with similar themes. Buy this album. Listen to it. Love it. It's probably the most important album of the year, and certainly one of 2016's best releases. 9/10
Gun violence is a recurring theme on American Band, but Hood and Cooley focus more on the individuals that do such things as opposed to their weapon of choice. Despite what their stances may be on potential legislation, these two songwriters still have the necessary understanding that people are the primary issue. It's a refreshing perspective in this day and age where everybody shares their two cents regardless of how educated they are on the topic. Standout track "Guns of Umpqua" (Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, OR, was the site of a shooting in 2015) has some of the best lyrics that I have ever heard. "We're all standing in the shadows of our noblest intentions of something more/Than being shot in a classroom in Oregon," sings Hood, just one of many fantastic lines in the song. With "Guns of Umpqua," Hood flashes back and forth between wholesome memories of a life well lived and a narrative of the present depicting the narrator and others trying to barricade their classroom door as they hear a shooter in the hallway. I see it as Hood's way of addressing the sad reality that it's hard to feel safe at any time.
"Ramon Casiano" sits at track one and is Mike Cooley's way of setting the mood for American Band. Casiano was a young Hispanic killed by eventual NRA leader Harlon Carter in 1931, a case that largely resembles modern "stand your ground" cases, as Carter claimed that Casiano threatened him with a knife. He was initially convicted of murder but the conviction was eventually overturned. Thankfully, the song is about the two people in question and not the weapon of choice. It's very apparent that Drive-By Truckers meant for American Band to focus on the main problem in American society--the people themselves.
"What it Means" is the lead single, and Hood uses damn near six and a half minutes to detail both the progress we've made and the problems that we unfortunately still have. "I mean, Barack Obama won/and you can choose where to eat/but you don't see too many white kids lying bleeding on the street," Hood sings, begging us to stop pretending that progress means that all of our problems are gone. Perhaps the most important line of the song is when Hood sings, "And when they turned him over/they were surprised there was no gun/I mean, he must have done something/or else why would he have run?/and they'll spin it for the anchors on the television screen/so we can shrug and let it happen without asking what it means."
"Once They Banned Imagine" is one more standout on an album full of great songs. Mike Cooley discusses the culling of artistic expression in our society and how that plays a role in the issues that continue to plague our nation. I would assume that the song also has something to do with the longtime controversy surrounding John Lennon's "Imagine." Lyrically, "Once They Banned Imagine" isn't as clear as I'd like it to be, but then again the best songs leave something to be deciphered. It's one more great song written by Mike Cooley.
American Band is an album with a dangerous concept in the hands of lesser songwriters, but because Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley are capable of addressing such topics without grandstanding on their own perspectives, it's a miraculous achievement that hopefully reaches as many ears as possible. While those hyper-sensitive to these issues might cast American Band as leftist propaganda, that'll only go to show that they didn't truly listen to the music and lyrics. American Band is an album about people problems, and that's what sets it apart from past albums with similar themes. Buy this album. Listen to it. Love it. It's probably the most important album of the year, and certainly one of 2016's best releases. 9/10
