country

Been There For You For Decades (Alison Krauss, Windy City review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

I’m not sure why this myself, is but it’s been proven time and again that familiar music is much more likely to incite positive feelings than anything else.

So if you want to induce a good mood for yourself, listen to something you already love. Whether you’re on the road, cleaning house, at work or in the middle of the creative act. Music we’ve personally identifed as good just breeds positive feelings.

Emotional and slowly simmering over decades, this week’s album review features classic tracks, by a familiar voice.

Alison Krauss – Windy City
released February 17, 2017
******* 7/10

alison-krauss-windy-city-album

Alison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. Having been active in the music industry since ten years old, and now forty five years of age, Krauss has released fourteen studio length albums since 1987, including songs on soundtracks such as Cold Mountain.

When it comes to accolades, Krauss has won a total of twenty seven Grammy Awards, no small feat given that she is one of the top recording artists in the history of the awards; now second only to Hungarian-British conductor Sir Georg Solti, who has thirty one awards.

But truthfully I can say it best when I say nothing at all, and let the music speak for itself.

As you all know, I kind of had to grow up listening to country music, so I’m well versed with Krauss’ ability to break hearts and take names over a three minute interval. And this album is no different. Windy City is the fifth solo album by Alison Krauss and features covers of ten classic country songs originally from Brenda Lee, The Osborne Brothers, Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Vern Gosdin, Glen Campbell, Bill Monroe and Eddy Arnold.

The question remains the same – is Windy City a fitting tribute or a cold wasteland. Well, I would argue it fits well, but is a bit of a biter.

Krauss is three decades into her career now, and she has an established voice, but unlike so many other artists before her, she has never explored a cover song album previously, and she’s not known for taking the unbeaten path. For instance, I’ve already eluded to her 1995 hit which was a cover of Keith Whitley’s When You Say Nothing At All. She’s always been a staple of the industry, with a touch of refinement, so Windy City doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, though it does sounds amazingly touching throughout. After all, Krauss was particular to record only on days that she felt at her optimal performance levels.

It’s a gentle reminder that there is a reason this lady has twenty seven Grammys; she has talent and intelligence to back it up. Now, I’m not going to spend time digging into each track to justify the existence of each one within the scope of Windy City, but I will write this – Dream of Me, I Never Cared for You, and You Don’t Know Me all made me rather emotional, heck, that last one got me all teary eyed. But that’s probably because ballads are Alison’s bread and butter.

Another point to note, the fire and passion throughout this record are very welcome additions, and something a fan of bluegrass at any age will appreciate. If you’re a fan of classic country, which apparently I am now (thanks for force-feeding me from a young age Dad), Windy City will feel like a well-worn pair of driving gloves, warm, comforting and protective. Also it serves as a bit of an education on what preceded her in the genre.

Krauss’ legacy is well intact and reinforced with Windy City.

 

There’s no way for Alison Krauss to compete with her early successes, people already have decades of time spent with those first few  singles, but playing homage to other well worn tracks is a smart move, and one which plays to her strengths. Windy City might not be the most original offering of the year, but it’s a familiar one, and fun to boot.

Tim!

It’s 3 AM, I Must Be Lonely (Jake Owen, American Love review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Ever watch How I Met Your Mother, dear readers? In what seems to be a theme of break up related things, I am now writing another post about breaking up. Breaking up is hard to do, after all.

There is this episode of How I Met Your Mother called Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM, that comes to mind for me in this moment. I won’t go into detail on it, but essentially Ted is invited over to visit a drunk and down Robin, but he is conflicted about it because he still is in a relationship with Victoria, his long-distance girlfriend.

The statute of limitations on spoilers is the same as news at this point if you’ve never seen the show, but I’m a gentleman, so you’ve been warned.

Essentially Ted does the bad thing, hooks up with Robin, and it has repercussions for more than just him. And of course, the challenge is whether it really is true that nothing good happens after 2 AM or if it’s mere perception.

Surprise, surprise, this week’s music review features an artist who has a song about this, and more importantly, love.

 

 

 

Jake Owen – American Love
released July 29, 2016
****** 6/10

jake-owen

Joshua Ryan Owen, better known by his stage name, Jake Owen, is an American country musician. He has released 5 studio albums over the course of a eleven year career with RCA Nashville. Apparently the reason he changed his stage name to Jake is to avoid confusion with Josh Turner and Josh Gracin.

How is a guy supposed to stand up for himself if he can’t even keep his first name? Well I guess he just has to make good music and carry a torch for something worth listening to.

American Love is Owen’s response to a year of trauma and difficulty. Seasoned with sweetness and outdoor themes, the lyrics underneath are rather bittersweet as you start to sit with everything for longer than a single listening session.

Yes, it is wholly optimistic, with a feel-good impression, but the dude just went through a pretty intense divorce and had to jump-start this record after a failed launch of original lead single Real Life, which is nowhere to be found on the album.

Instead it is replaced by upbeat tunes like American Love, Everybody Dies Young, VW Van, and Good Company. Then we get into the real meat and potatoes of the album with LAX, If He Ain’t Gonna Love You, and When You Love Someone, which are all emotionally wraught and showcase Owen’s heartbreaking method of the blues. I mean this is a country album after all, it can all be smiles and unicorns.

When we finally get to the bookend with American Country Love Song, which is currently climbing the country music charts, and it fits in nicely with the rest of Owen’s previous work. So maybe an upbeat note isn’t a terrible thing to leave on, but I’m less impressed by this then the rest of the back half of the album.

I think part of the problem comes from the fact that when Owen started this album, he was still married and in a much different place, then all of a sudden he was single again, and had to sort through his shit. So his team and him attempted to salvage what they could, and then he got some support to create something meaningful.

After all, the album is about love, just not the head-over-heels, infatuation version of it.

But it feels odd to have a typically upbeat and summer music artist tackling heavier themes and jumping back and forth between theme. Yes, the love theme is consistent, but I almost would rather he pick one tone and stuck with it OR found a way to transition from each tone to the next in a more organic way.

 

 

 

Jake Owen pokes fun at the notion that nothing good after happens after midnight, on the eponymous track, but deep down he knows that nostalgia is it’s own kind of love drug. Wrapped up in the past is one way to live, pretending your pain isn’t there, but we all need to work through these things, so that we can become the best version of ourselves, whether we pair up or go it alone.

After all, it should be about love. But that’s just a theory.

Tim!

 

Country Talk (Eric Church Mr. Misunderstood review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Driving on the highway can do a lot to clear your head I’ve found. Especially when you are all alone. And sometimes that silence forces your mind to work through ideas that you’ve been ignoring for weeks. 

I’m sure you’ve heard metaphors about the highway before dear readers, and the common associations of a highway representing life and everything on it.

And why is that the country music genre seems to tackle that association so well? And seemingly so often?

I have to wonder if it’s a misconception or hard won strength of the genre.

 

 

 

Eric Church – Mr. Misunderstood
released November 3, 2015
********* 9/10

1035x1035-EricChurchCoverMrMisunderstood

Kenneth Eric Church, known professionally as Eric Church, is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Capitol Nashville since 2005, he has since released a total of five studio albums for that label.

Before I lean too far into this review, I should warn you, I’m not really a fan of modern country music.

That statement is probably difficult to pin down because there are so many forms and variations of country music, but what I think of when I use the term “modern” country music is specifically music that has come out of the 1970s and onwards. Think John Denver, Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Carrie Underwood and all of their like. I would have included Taylor Swift in that mix, but she turned heel at one point and became more mainstream. Check my Stimulating Sunday post from yesterday for more personal revelation on that.

This album had an atypical release, which I think is an important component to consider in the totality of the album experience of today’s world.

It was recorded in a month and was sent via mail to his fan club first.

Let’s reread that that sentence and break it apart. The Church Choir premium members all got copies of the album sent to them, via the postal service. But every fan member got a hold of the album in some form. And they got to hear it first. And they didn’t pay for it.

What an incredible notion for an album release. Something get’s quietly released to the most die-hard fans before it hits the ears of the critics. That means they got an unfiltered listen before the opinions started to crop up. In the days when instant communication is almost inescapable. This method of delivery very clearly highlights the intimacy and awkward delivery of the album’s contents. All of the tracks address various difficult issues with measured lyrics and thoughtful melody – ego (Mistress Name Music), heroes (Record Year), wisdom and youth (Three Year Old), identity (Mr. Misunderstood), loss (Mixed Drinks About Feelings), and language (Kill A Word).

I think my favourite track is probably Record Year, because it appeals to love and loss, both of which I have personally experienced. However, the one that will sit with most parents and anyone facing a period of cynicism is Three Year Old. Church is a father to two little boys and he realizes that the wisdom of a child is as powerful a truth as it ever has been.

 

I understand that his last album was supposed to be an arena effort with lots of studio power, this one feels like it’s meant to sit with you and not let go. That doesn’t mean you won’t immediately enjoy it, but it does mean that it will stay in your rotation for years to come.

The fact that Church’s influences come from country, folk, hard rock, alt rock, and metal is quite apparent to me. This is an incredibly nuanced album which has made a fan of someone who had lost interest in new works from this genre for the better part of his life.

 

 

 

While Eric Church doesn’t sing about the open road on this album at any point, he did manage to cover some well worn topics and rejuvenate them. And he rekindled my interest in the genre.

I can see why he might feel misunderstood, but I don’t think it will last too long. That’s it for today, I’m going to hop in my car and go for a drive with my new friend. Till next time.

Tim!