Sturgill Simpson

Albums: Sailors Guide to Earth, Sound and Fury

Something more less jazz you say? Ok, well, Sturgil keeps things safe by keeping to familiar progressions and standard time signatures, though he does a fantastic job of making them interesting. He even recognises and discloses the recursivity of his writing in the lyrics of “All Said and Done”!

Keep staring at the pages, coming up with the same lines,It’s all been said and done by now, two or three times.

This however is not surprising (as he knows how to wield the pen) because the line is also symbolic of the essence of his breakthrough album which was title called “Meta-modern Sounds in Country Music”. Yep, psychedelic country music. You can’t find a larger market than country music so he pretty much nailed the business strategy for going mainstream! (intentional or otherwise) Hinted at by the album title “A Sailors Guide to Earth” and reading between the lines of “Welcome to Earth Pollywog” and “Keep Between The Lines” it seems pretty obvious that the albums intended as a time capsule for his newborn child. In particular I’d recommend the track “Brace For Impact” for its lyrics framed by a particularly solid bass line chugging the title into life (what a shaker in the chorus!). The motown vibe throughout this album also has an authenticity to it akin to the Muscle Shoals sound.

If your a fan of the Danger Mouse sound (Black Keys), then you’ll appreciate the production of Sound and Fury, which exemplifies the style - for instance painting in the drums of “Best Clock Maker on Mars” which has a precise and unrelenting shuffle. The aesthetic of switching radio stations is pretty creative too and reminds me of Pink Floyds “Wish You Were Here”. Once the blistering guitars get too intense (they do), your treated to some melting moments of release like in the tune “Make Art, Not Friends”; as such I’d suggest sticking with the tension and listening to the album straight through from start to finish… oh and “Remember to Breathe”! ;)