When asked what music they like to listen to, a staggering percentage of people answer: \u201cI listen to everything…except for rap and country.\u201d Or, at least they did back when I used to ask that question, thinking everyone felt as strongly about music as I did. I wondered\u00a0why so many people are turned off by rap and country?<\/p>\n
The term “country music” seems to implant\u00a0stereotypical images. When people hear that term, they picture a: plaid-shirted, belt-buckled, cowboy-hatted, cheap beer swilling, and acoustic guitar-playing dude with a thick drawl singing about his sad dog, his sad love life, or his sad tractor. That’s not my kind of scene either, but Sturgill Simpson is, by his own admission, a “Country Artist”.<\/p>\n
He certainly doesn’t fit the above description.<\/p>\n
“A Sailor\u2019s Guide To Earth”<\/em> is the third full-length album by the Kentucky singer-songwriter.\u00a0As much notoriety as he\u2019s received for his take on\u00a0Country and “Roots Rock” up to this point, this album spreads the sound even wider. First of all, A Sailor\u2019s Guid<\/em>e is essentially a concept album. It\u2019s literally a guide for life written to his young son; a bunch of advice-type songs riddled with meaning,\u00a0morals, and lines like:<\/p>\n \u201cDo as I say, don\u2019t do as I’ve done\/<\/em><\/p>\n It don’t have to be like a father, like his son.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The personal nature of this album could pretty quickly fall into the territory of being cheesy, but Simpson avoids that fate the same way J. Tillman did with 2015\u2019s\u00a0I\u00a0Love You, Honeybear<\/em>. He means it and that comes across in the songwriting. Simpson continually pulls in seafaring metaphors, especially as they relate to the military. \u201cSea Stories\u201d<\/em> \u0438 \u201cCall to Arms\u201d<\/em> make heavy use of the Navy a “manly” pursuit. \u00a0The military is not the kind of path Simpson wants his son to think he has to take to prove himself. In \u201cBreakers Roar\u201d<\/em> \u0438 \u201cAll Around You\u201d,<\/em> the sea is a stand-in for the fears of isolation, loneliness, and desperation; all fears which Simpson tenderly attempts to quell.<\/p>\n Musically, the album melts together in a way that calls to mind prog-rock albums and gives the album a flowing cohesiveness. Here, Simpson\u2019s brand of country-soul is more pronounced\u00a0than ever before. Of course, the bright steel guitar still makes an appearance on just about every song, but there are also sweeping string arrangements and horn sections. The opening track, \u201cWelcome to Earth\u201d,<\/em> is driven by a smooth piano and strings, but then explodes into a 60\u2019s soul groove that will not let go. \u201cKeep It Between The Lines\u201d<\/em>, the most straightforward song on the album, has a killer 1970’s Southern Rock vibe courtesy of the brilliant Dap-Kings.\u00a0The track has\u00a0five\u00a0fantastic solos in 4\u00a0minutes of run-time. The album\u2019s lead single,\u00a0\u201cBrace for Impact\u201d,<\/em> finds Simpson delivering a carpe diem-type message over a driving beat before the track descends into a spacey, but groovy, synth-heavy blues outro.<\/p>\n Essentially, Simpson is like a third Blues Brother. The only difference is that he would\u2019ve been totally at home in the country biker bar scene. He\u2019s got that Blues & Soul sensibility in his writing. There are songs like \u201cSea Stories\u201d<\/em>, when the album doesn\u2019t work as well, like pulling out the ice and bitters and leaving us with a glass full of straight Kentucky Bourbon. It\u2019s a little abrasive if you\u2019re not ready for it. However,\u00a0the album\u2019s flow keeps you from skipping around. \u00a0Not to mention, \u201cSea Stories\u201d<\/em> is followed by a gorgeous cover of Nirvana\u2019s \u201cIn Bloom\u201d<\/em>! \u00a0<\/em>Simpson brightens and injects some of his pained drawl into this beautiful cover song. It\u2019s a highlight of the album and just when you think it can\u2019t get any better, the Chicago-style horns come in and make you seriously wonder if you like this version more than the original.\u00a0I bet you do.<\/p>\n There are a lot of spectacular moments on this album.\u00a0As a whole, it\u2019s a real success. The few less spectacular moments are overshadowed by Simpson\u2019s sincerity and his talent for creating sounds that transcend the simple label of “country music”. It\u2019s hard to put together an album this personal and still make it accessible and easy to relate to. The experiences Simpson writes about in this album, positive or negative, are ones most of us have had…or can take something from. A Sailor\u2019s Guide<\/em> isn\u2019t just a guide for Simpson\u2019s son, it\u2019s a guide for all sailors…whether you like “country music” or not.<\/p>\n Grade: B+<\/p>\n You can purchase “A Sailor’s\u00a0Guide to Earth” at:\u00a0http:\/\/www.sturgillsimpson.com\/music<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n