#Hey!
If other art or music blogs are any indicator, this is where I write some lengthy exhibition in which I imply backhandedly that I understand music better than you, appreciate it better than you, and my tastes are better than you because I am better than you.
However, I will not be doing that. If the world truly did revolve around me as it seemingly does for so many Letterboxd and Pitchfork users, my apartment garage key never would have fallen down the elevator shaft in 2019 (at the time I blamed the dog, but that had to be the act of some god as of yet undiscovered).
Regardless, I am very happy you’re here.
I’ll do my best not to be annoying, but the Truth is paramount.
Sometimes it’s annoying.
Hear me out!!!!
Before some of us take up arms and attempt to castrate me via torch and pitchfork for even DARING to vouch for Country Music of any variety, hear me out.
Plus, if you keep reading you’ll see a lot of it. Bear with me.
Despite my modern day existence as a transplant Yankee, I am of and from the south. My folks, especially on my fathers side, live breathe and die by Banjos, Bluegrass and Gospel Chords.
There are a lot of very fair arguments to be made about Country Music and its sister genres. Everyone from David Allan Coe (especially him) to Zach Bryan has perpetuated harmful stereotypes and beaten dead horses compositionally.
But this album is an exception.
As annoying and tired a charade it is to sit through when someone swears up and down that some body of work is different, that it’s honest, raw, refreshing, synonyms;
This album is, and most of Sturgill Simpsons albums really are.
At a time in my life where I’d rather be caught dead than be seen relating to my Father, this album built a bridge between us, our current selves, and our childhood selves. I really believe that.
Speaking of 2019…
(Last year of Mango Juul Pods)
Freshman year of high school.. Yikes. The first year I can remember using any streaming service other than Youtube Music, (Which my friend Yovani found VERY entertaining) and the first year I can reliably remember what I listened to. While everyone else was listening to Swimming (Rip goat) and “ASTROWORLD: 4D AUDIO HD 4K” I was snaking my earbuds down into my backpack-bound ipad to listen to this without getting clowned on.
This album felt like overhearing an old friend talking to himself on a very, very long drive.
At the time I really needed that sense of company.
The Walk to School
Yessss yt boy, turn UP!!!!
Not only is like every single song on here #still a BANGER, it was the perfect album length for when I had to walk all the way to school in January, fingers freezing and full of now-righteous anger.
I cannot imagine having to get to school in time for ‘homeroom’ again; That ish was funky.
I’d really like to think that I didn’t believe listening to Denzel Curry rapping about contemporary social issues and inequities somehow absolved me of all white guilt, that I - “got it”, but… it’s possible.
My bad, guys.
(Still talking about 2019 btw)
I can’t be the ONLY one, right?
There’s no way I was the only kid who heard Deceptacon in high school and immediately started chasing the high of the Punk identity without grasping its significance.
Or maybe there is. Whatever.
I don’t think I’d make the cut. Gun to my head, Misfits still suck. And Sonic Youth did my boy Nardwuar dirty.
Just saying I never saw them in the same room.
I don’t really get it anymore, but at the time I thought this album was #fetch. It was so cool to me. Pseudonym, jazz fusion, naked lady on the cover, are you kitten me? If ever I found I was somehow failing to be the most annoying person in the room, all I had to do was mention this album.
Nah man this is, like, real rock.
(Proceeds to queue Love Train 10X )
At a time where I was tired of pimple faced morons talking about how cool they were for listening to Nirvana and being ‘alternative’…
I, too, was a pimple faced moron talking ab blah blah blah, thinking I was alternative (15 year old white kid with a crew cut wearing a billabong pullover and khakis, mind you).
Meanwhile, Wolfmother went 5X Platinum off of this album alone. I was just as guilty. But by the time I figured that out I didn’t care. This album made me feel invincible despite my 5’7, 110 lb 15 year old frame.
Today, today, today is not my day!
I didn’t even know ‘Bubblegrunge’ was a THING, man! This album rocked… in like a hubba bubba bubblegum way. Apparently they inspired Scott Pilgrim, too. But that was off a different album. I think it was early pandemic era when I found this.
Remember that? Like #What?
