“A Long Way From Your Heart” Should Be The Turnpike Troubadours’ National Moment
The Turnpike Troubadours are the greatest country music band in the world right now. The Turnpike Troubadours very well may be the the greatest country act overall—male, female, duo or group. Unlike other big non-commercial names like Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, and Sturgill Simpson, the Turnpike Troubadours are not polarizing in any way to the population of music fans. Unlike Stapleton and Simpson, they are truly independent. You don’t shy away from the Turnpike Troubadours in any way from some perceived political affiliation or other potential acrimonious issue. And unlike Isbell, Stapleton, and Simpson, the Turnpike Troubadours are solidly, undeniably country.
The appeal for the Turnpike Troubadours crosses age groups, gender, geographic location, and social status. The Turnpike Troubadours are the independent band that even your mainstream-listening friends and family love. The Turnpike Troubadours are energetic and youthful, yet mature. Their music has an infectiousness, yet is still incredibly deep. The Turnpike Troubadours are all things to all country music people, and continuously prove their universal appeal whenever given a chance. And with a head full of momentum and a growing mantle of critical accolades and commercial accomplishments, the Turnpike Troubadours may have just released their most gratifying album yet.
Where other promising acts of independent country seem to almost invariably veer towards the rock or indie side of music as they make their career ascent, the Turnpike Troubadours have stuck to their country roots. If anything, they’ve added more twang to their sound by incorporating a sixth permanent member into the band recently in steel guitar player “Hammerin'” Hank Early. The Turnpike Troubadours are a band that won’t break your heart as a country fan. They won’t abandon you to follow some big trend, or attempt to set one for themselves. Like the rising and setting sun, the Turnpike Troubadours are steady. They are there for you, while remaining remarkably fresh and avoiding anything the feels even close to a stale routine.
Four or five major records in and cresting into their 30’s, a band is supposed to have either made it, or solidly ensconced themselves in whatever groove they will remain in for the rest of their careers. But in country and roots music, near history has proven to be different. In the ‘Age of the Song’ which we’re in the midst of, maturity is often rewarded. So is sobriety and stability, both things that Turnpike frontman Evan Felker—like Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson before him—has found at least a level of in the last couple of years.
A new vitality marks the songs of A Long Way From Your Heart. Where their last record seemed to lean at times on the strength of Evan Felker’s songwriting, most of the selections from A Long Way From Your Heart are the full package. The song construction is smarter, the melodies fattier, the turns of phrases more witty, and the choruses rise under their own volition as they should in a country song, as opposed to the forced action of the popular music influence.
Though a high bar had already been set across a number of musical gradients from previous Turnpike projects, A Long Way From Your Heart feels more virile on multiple counts, bested only maybe by those first few songs from their first LP (“Every Girl” and “7&7”). The sound is full with the addition of steel guitar, and this gives guitarist Ryan Engleman and fiddler Kyle Nix the freedom to stretch their legs in segments. There’s a vitality seasoned from the influence of the famous Sonic Ranch in West Texas where the album was recorded. And the songwriting of Evan Felker and the other contributors is more spirited and refined, fueled by a full-bodied passion for the music, where perhaps previous energies were parsed somewhat on anxieties.
Sometimes a Turnpike Troubadours song leaves you with a riddle, like the opening track “The Housefire,” which reprises the role of Lorrie from previous Turnpike songs. Sometimes the point is a bit more obvious, like in the articulation of an impending storm in “Tornado Warning”—or perhaps it’s an allusion to something deeper. Is the final song “Sunday Morning Paper” about the death of fellow Oklahoma music star Leon Russell? He died on a Sunday, played piano, and if fits with the line “rock and roll is surely dead.” Other lines seem to hint of Merle Haggard. Or is it both? Or are we completely off the scent? Sometimes you don’t even want to know where a Turnpike song is taking you, or the answer depends on who you ask.
“The Winding Stair Mountain Blues”—though perhaps the most energetic Troubadours track yet—and a necessary scorcher to imbue the album with spice—felt a little to close to the approach of their previous song “Before The Devil Knows We’re Dead.” But this is about the only flimsy criticism a fine tooth comb exposes in this record. A Long Way From Your Heart is also balanced out by new sounds from the band in songs like “Something To Hold On To,” which has almost a mid 80’s warmified style not indicative of traditional Turnpike tunes, but timely and perfectly textured to keep the Turnpike sound fresh. “The Hard Way” and “Unrung” anchor the album with solid songwriting. And if you’re looking for that one selection that may go right beside “7&7” and “Good Lord Lorrie” as a song that will put Turnpike in the canon of country music history (and make your girlfriend or wife swoon), “Pay No Rent” might be the guilty party.
The problem that remains with the Turnpike Troubadours has nothing to do with their own efforts. It is confounding issue of why their music hasn’t risen to the household name recognition it seems to deserve. The press seems woefully unaware of the fan base they’ve amassed, and the effect of the music upon them. The written material accompanying the release of various songs ahead of this project was fairly lacking. Their Wikipedia page remains a thumbnail. And if you didn’t know any better, you would almost think someone is trying to keep the Turnpike Troubadours as Texas/Red Dirt’s best kept secret.
Part of the problem is the regional strategy that holds a lot of Texoma-based bands back. When you can pack out houses with four figure crowds across a few states, why slag it out in the extremities of the map for a few hundred hearty fans? But you have to open those markets; you have to put that service time in. The Turnpike Troubadours have tried to do that, including a recent trek to the U.K. and Europe. But it has to also be accompanied by someone telling your story. Even more than most, the Turnpike Troubadours are a narrative-based band. The music may be infectious, but for the the full-bodied experience, you must delve into the story of the songs, and of the band itself, and how they intertwine. While you see big write ups in major periodicals for other artists half as talented, Turnpike’s only talked about in the same old haunts.
Time has well past where the Turnpike Troubadours should graduate to the big leagues, where they should be mentioned right beside the other titans of independent country, and tickling the mainstream. Why couldn’t you play a Turnpike Troubadours song on mainstream radio? Their influence already is on that level. You hear the bones of Turnpike writing and song structures in a dozen bands in Texas and beyond, more so than you do so-called more successful artists. The Turnpike Troubadours are their own subgenre. It’s a sound that leans heavy on fiddle and substantive songwriting, and that peer influence has raised the quality of country music across the board in recent years.
Before the accolades start to feel like platitudes, and the reasons become excuses, the Turnpike Troubadours should find their place in the national narrative. Because country music needs them. The Turnpike Troubadours are the band for right here, right now, delivering everything you want, saddled by nothing you don’t need; handsome, cool, relevant, fun, infectious, and smart. The Turnpike Troubadours are the greatest band in country music right now, and A Long Way From Your Heart very well might be their best record yet.
Two guns Up.
– – – – – – – –
Purchase A Long Way From Your Heart from the Turnpike Troubadours
Daniel
October 20, 2017 @ 7:48 am
Fuck yeah.
TX Music Jim
October 20, 2017 @ 7:50 am
Best live band you will see out there right now they are deserving of national recognition let’s hope that happens and soon.
Kyle
October 20, 2017 @ 9:07 am
They’re here in Lincoln next month. tickets have been sold out since 2 weeks after it was announced. can’t wait to see Winding Stair Mountain Blues in concert.
R2D2
October 20, 2017 @ 10:01 am
Glad to hear they have a big following in Nebraska, they are doing pretty well here in Iowa too! I saw them in Iowa City, granted it was a smaller bar, and the crowd was spilling outside and was standing room only. Enjoy the show in Lincoln!
Kyle
October 20, 2017 @ 10:14 am
Lincoln and Omaha have a strong red dirt/Texas country following. Betwen the Bourbon in Lincoln and the Slowdown in Omaha, they usually sell out pretty quickly if they’re bigger names. I have turned a few country haters into big TT fans. One usually texts me about shows before I even see them posted on social media.
BigRed
October 22, 2017 @ 6:53 pm
I’ve seen the twice in Lincoln and am bringing 8 new fans to the show next month. They’re the best band going.
Justin S
October 20, 2017 @ 10:24 am
What bar I in Iowa city did they play? I had tickets to see them in June I think in des moine and wasn’t able to go, so hopefully there back in Iowa soon.
R2D2
October 20, 2017 @ 11:02 am
A place called the Blue Moose in Iowa City.. a buddy of mine and I actually saw them after the show at a pool hall close by and got to talk to the band.. we told them to come back to Iowa as often as you can lol.. they were actually asking about a theatre in Iowa City so maybe they will play there next time.
Cody
October 20, 2017 @ 7:51 am
Turnpike Troubadours is how new country should sound like. Plain and simple. Awesome album from a awesome band.
Cooper
October 20, 2017 @ 7:56 am
The Turnpike Troubadours are the perfect evolution of country music. Rock and folk elements intertwined, but still country to the core. Best in the business with yet another superb album.
Clyde
October 20, 2017 @ 7:56 am
They’ve got all the bases covered for sure. One thing most of the country and alt country bands today can’t do that is a big part of country is hyperbole, humor and playfulness. Not a lot of ear twisting tension and release, like in a good Roy Nichols or Buddy Emmons solo. Lighten up a bit sometimes.
CountryKnight
October 20, 2017 @ 8:20 am
Good point.
A lot of singers and bands never seem to have fun songs.
Craig Danger
October 20, 2017 @ 7:58 am
Bingo.
Oh, in Sunday Morning Paper… So you think the “Big Machine” is a pointed reference? I like to think so 🙂
Craig Danger
October 20, 2017 @ 7:59 am
Do you, not so you
Trigger
October 20, 2017 @ 9:55 am
One of the things I love the most about Turnpike is the songs keep giving as you continue to try and unravel the message in the lyrics.
“…out to break the Big Machine, gettin’ all the low down for the truth. Fightin’ at it fingernail and tooth. Somewhere between 10 and 2, someone’s wishing they were you, make a living off your highs and lows.”
That got my attention, and I think there’s all kinds of messages there.
Aggc
October 20, 2017 @ 7:58 am
Love, love, love the album. Been listening to it all morning.
musicfan
October 20, 2017 @ 8:02 am
My thoughts PRECISELY! It’s just an awesome, solid album, and I LOVE it!
Thanks for a most excellent review of an equally excellent album. If this doesn’t push them to the next level, I don’t know what will.
BroCountry Satan
October 20, 2017 @ 8:05 am
Trig this album may be as close to a 10 as we can get. I saw TT last New Year’s at Cains and I’m not sure I have ever seen a better show. One thing that is not mentioned is the silent leader of the band, RC Edwards. He is the Jeremy Plato to Evan Felker’s Cody Canada. He is a brilliant bassist and a crowd favorite at their live shows. I believe that RC is truly the backbone of TT.
Trigger
October 20, 2017 @ 9:24 am
I agree about RC Edwards. Helps with the writing, and is the glue that binds the Turnpike Troubadours together.
Cameron
October 20, 2017 @ 8:07 am
Great article and sums up how I feel exactly. These guys are unreal. I wasn’t sure how they could do it but they created their best album to date with this one. Easily Album of the year for me.
Oklahoma Stars maybe an over looked track Since it is subtle but it is a perfect song in every way. The more you listen the more you get it. There is nothing close to a mid step here.
We are all witness to the greatest country band alive.
Hillbilly
October 20, 2017 @ 8:11 am
I love this band. Just a solid, no bullshit country band. My only gripe with them is that they never come to Arizona. I had to fly to Austin (poor me) to see them at willies picnic this past summer and it was well worth it. It seems like a lot of bands just stay around Texas and Oklahoma and I don’t blame them because they seem to be able to pack houses constantly but it would definitely be nice to see some of these bands (Jason Boland, Turnpike, Flatland, Justin Wells) come out a little further west.
Trigger
October 20, 2017 @ 9:30 am
Yes, I tried to address that in the review. Basically these big Texas bands have to take money out of their pockets to tour outside of the Texas/Oklahoma/Arkansas/Missouri/ Kansas region because they draw so well there. But if they’re ever going to be as big as Sturgill and Stapleton, they’re going to have to open those markets and put the time in. I think they’re trying to do that, but more effort should be put out. THE PRESS in those areas also has to be on board. I feel like the press (as a member of it) is somewhat responsible for not putting these guys in the proper national context. They don’t get political, they’re fairly straight-laced and safe, so some of the folks on the coasts don’t find them as interesting. But the music should be the ultimate judge, and their music is resonating with independent fans as much as anyone’s.
Hillbilly
October 20, 2017 @ 9:43 am
It would really be great to see some more bands out here but on the other hand taking a trip out to Texas is always a great time. This past July we flew into San Antonio, drove to New Braunfels to see Ryan Bingham, Steve Earle and Jamestown Revival at the Whitewater. Met Ryan Bingham floating the Guadalupe the next day, saw Flatland Cavalry at Gruene Hall that same day and then drove into Austin for the picnic. Talk about a great 4 days of music!
Cool Lester Smooth
October 20, 2017 @ 5:49 pm
They packed Brighton Music Hall up here in Beantown…but that’s a pretty small venue.
Bigger than where I saw WCG, but smaller than Paradise, where Randy played in January.
Biscuit
October 21, 2017 @ 7:09 am
What’s left of the media here wouldn’t know good music if it bit them in the ass. Newspapers and radio are dead. Mainstream newsmedia today is just wire stories sold to all newspapers from New York or LA.
Rachel
October 20, 2017 @ 12:54 pm
I live in extreme South Alabama and it is certainly not a great place for good music most of the time. However, in the past year alone we have had Turnpike, Cody Jinks, Cody Johnson, Whiskey Myers, and a few others that I can’t remember. When they or someone you like ever do come to your area bring your friends! I saw Cody Jinks in Mobile last night and he even said he was surprised he had such a good crowd for somewhere he’s never played before.
Hillbilly
October 20, 2017 @ 2:23 pm
Funny, Cody Jinks just announced a show here in Phoenix about 10 minutes ago. He’s been here twice now and tickets sell out pretty fast. First time he came through he opened for Whitney Morgan and he was really surprised when the whole crowd was singing along with him. He couldn’t believe that anyone in Arizona knew who he was.
Biscuit
October 21, 2017 @ 9:15 am
Rachel, there is a great little place in Waverly called Standard Deluxe- a print shop with a music problem–that has had some great country artists play.
RHP-997
October 23, 2017 @ 2:13 pm
First time I ever saw Whitey Morgan was in Phoenix. Happen to be out there for the golf tournament and got a whole group of people to go see him as well.
CountryKnight
October 20, 2017 @ 8:18 am
To be honest, while the new album is amazing, “Diamonds and Gasoline” remains their best output.
But then again, rating Turnpike albums is trying to rank Kate Upton, Lindsey Pelas and Hannah Jeter. It is hard to go wrong.
Doyle Hargrave
October 20, 2017 @ 8:23 am
I planned a road trip I’m taking for today just because of this album coming out.
Aggc
October 20, 2017 @ 8:33 am
One thing I noticed right away is there is a bit more emphasis on musicianship this time around. Some really nice solos and extended interplay between the instruments.
R2D2
October 20, 2017 @ 8:51 am
Great album and great band.. Speaking of the lack of press prior to the album.. One thing that irks me is the articles that did come out prior to the album all referred to them as “roots-rockers”.. I get they ahve a roots influence but they are a god damn country band!
Trigger
October 20, 2017 @ 9:34 am
I agree. Yes, they have a couple of songs that veer towards rock, but so did Willie and Waylon. I think this is a solidly country band, and now with a full time steel guitar, that’s solidified it even more. I just think a lot of the press that covers them (or ignores them) really doesn’t understand what’s going on. They see pearl snaps and cowboy hats and just pass them off as another Southern redneck country rock band, uninteresting outside of Texas and Oklahoma. Evan Felker’s lyrics are as introspective and thought-provoking as anyone’s.
jtrpdx
October 20, 2017 @ 8:58 am
Great album. Although, I don’t think you can really talk about / compare them to more purely traditional country artists out there. Different animal, and there is nothing wrong with that. To my ear, the song structures (more rock / folk), vocals and instrumentation put them more squarely in the southern rock category and always have. Again, nothing wrong with that and I actually think that is a good thing with respect to their potential to “get big” with the broader general public.
R2D2
October 20, 2017 @ 9:53 am
How is a band that has a fiddle, steel guitar, and accordian not squarely in the country stratosphere? I get they have some rockish songs (The Mercury for one) but I think they fit very squarely into the country music space.
jtrpdx
October 20, 2017 @ 11:19 am
It’s all about song structure, vocals and the forwardness of the electric guitar. A few of their songs are more traditional country leaning than others, but comparing them to the Old 97’s, Drive-By Truckers and other alt-country / southern rock acts is much more accurate. To me, that group of artists is a different animal altogether than those focusing more on traditional country as most people around here tend to think of it, and my guess would be that the members of those bands would agree. In the end it doesn’t really matter, of course, but I was just a bit surprised to see them referred to as the best country band in business.
ShadeGrown
October 20, 2017 @ 6:36 pm
Either your ears or your brain are fuct up
Corncaster
October 20, 2017 @ 6:47 pm
have the Turnpike boys ever recorded a shuffle? jtrpdx is right, it mostly sounds like straight-eights rock to me, with fiddle and steel. I’ve heard them do train beat, but hard-core shuffle? not a lot, at least that I can tell. these guys have a whole lot more in common with Old 97s than the Texas Troubadours. not a bad thing, but a real thing.
LG
October 21, 2017 @ 12:53 pm
Hell, TT have *covered* Old 97’s and Felker has co-written at least two songs with Rhett Miller.
the pistolero
October 23, 2017 @ 8:13 am
have the Turnpike boys ever recorded a shuffle?
I could be wrong, but I thought that’s exactly what “Easton & Main” was.
Jtrpdx
October 20, 2017 @ 9:53 pm
Or perhaps you need to do a little research on rock progressions vs. traditional country song structures, shadegrown. I didn’t call them non-country in an insulting way, so calm down.
LG
October 21, 2017 @ 12:47 pm
I would say TT are a rock-forward country band. Old 97’s are like their punk rock older brothers.
Kyle
October 20, 2017 @ 9:06 am
Pay No Rent is a song dedicated to his late aunt.
this site gives you a little info and background on each song.
http://www.wideopencountry.com/a-long-way-from-your-heart/
hoptowntiger94
October 20, 2017 @ 9:09 am
I wasn’t going to comment on this album since I’ve soured on this band, but on FB you had to say “greatest band of our time.” I haven’t seen it live. In fact, I now think they just don’t translate live. A month after the Knoxville debacle, a friend saw them live in Nashville. When I asked how they were, he said “okay, but Old 97’s were much better.” What?! That shouldn’t be.
I saw Nick Dittmieier & the Sawdusters play a room of 7 people last night and they were lights out. Earlier this year, I saw Old Crow Medicine Show (IMO the best band of out time) play nothing but Bob Dylan songs and they were phenomenal. I saw the Avett Bros. 3X this year on your with Willie Nelson and it changed my opinion on them for the better.
Until TT can take what they record and translate live, they are nowhere near the greatest band of our time.
IMO
Craig Danger
October 20, 2017 @ 9:22 am
I couldn’t disagree more fervently. They blast to a full house every time I’ve seen them. I won’t bother ranking them in and around the 97’s or Avett Brothers or OCMS. They all belong in the same tier. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone knock their live performance.
jmarsh123
October 20, 2017 @ 10:26 am
Me too. I’ve seen them 5 times with another coming up. We go anytime they are in the midwest and outside of once when Evan seemed a little drunk they’ve always put on a great show.
R2D2
October 20, 2017 @ 9:51 am
I disagree as well.. I have seen them twice. Once in Iowa and once in Kansas City (bigger crowd) and both times they were phenomenal. First time I have heard anyone knock their live show as well.
Someguy
October 20, 2017 @ 10:20 am
I heard they’ve had a couple bad shows, but holy hell they had a packed crowd here in Asheville this summer and absolutely destroyed
musicfan
October 20, 2017 @ 10:50 am
Yes, they have had an off show now and then (and I’ve been to a couple), but mostly THEN, and when they are on, there is nobody better. If not for family obligations this weekend, I would give my right arm to see them in OKC for their album release show tonight.
Barnley
October 20, 2017 @ 11:42 am
Seen them about 20 times going back to 2008 & have yet to see a bad show. Great group and f guys too.
Thank Jason Boland & The Stragglers for making sure TT broke out of Tahlequah to begin with, since we’re talking about great bands with great songwriting that are maybe too straight-ahead country to make it on the coasts.
Matt
November 3, 2017 @ 8:23 pm
I saw them for the first time at their album release show in OKC and holy hell was it an amazing performance….hands down the most fun I’ve ever had at a concert of any genre
LJ
October 20, 2017 @ 12:00 pm
Have seen them 7 times and the 8th will be on Saturday. Last time I saw them at Whitewater, I went along with a buddy who has never been a big TT fan. After the show, his comments were “Wow they rocked the f-ing house and were way better than I expected”
Sounds like you might need to catch a show and give them another listen!
Gabriel Pearson
October 22, 2017 @ 10:57 am
Hey man, we’ll happily make it up to you. Let us know when you wanna come out to another show, and we’ll take care of your admission. We felt like we played really well in Knoxville, but we weren’t in the crowd, so we could be very mistaken. As far as attendance, our books say it was over half full, but we’re more than happy to give your money back. Seriously. We want folks to be happy with what they pay for. Say the word and we’ll get you taken care of!!
Sam
October 22, 2017 @ 8:20 pm
What happened in Nashville?
Austin C
October 27, 2017 @ 4:38 pm
I have to agree. I’ve seen them live around 10 times dating back to 2010. While they have put on a good show every time the songs just don’t quite translate from their albums to their live shows. The songwriting and musicianship are both very strong but for whatever reason it just doesn’t come through to me at their live shows like it does from their albums. To me you can’t beat Isbell when it comes to all of the above. I honestly think Isbell is better live than on an album which is saying a lot considering how great his albums are. TT is a solid band and Felker is definitely top 10 songwriters of our time. Just my opinion…I have numerous friends that love their live shows and I’m not saying I dislike them I just don’t think they are as great as their albums.
Doug T
October 20, 2017 @ 9:28 am
Went to 2 packed houses in Charlotte NC. When I turned around to look at the crowd, they were singing every word. TT’s fan base is growing big time. Sirius outlaw country exposure helps spread the word? That’s where I first heard their music.
Roland of Gilead
October 20, 2017 @ 9:34 am
I’ve been jamming this album since Monday.One of the best acts out right now and their live show is a boot stompin hell of a good time!!
Huntermc6
October 20, 2017 @ 9:38 am
Turnpike Troubadour’s “A Long Way From Your Heart”, “Willie Nelson & The Boys” & Margo Price’s “All American Made”. What an incredible day for releases! Good luck with your 2017 Best of Series Trigger. Probably going to plan a road trip to catch Turnpike this year since I doubt they will make an appearance anywhere near the Northeast.
Benny Lee
October 20, 2017 @ 9:44 am
Best. Band. Period.
These guys are where it’s at right now.
If they ever get out to Seattle again (February?) I will be there.
Whiskeytown
October 20, 2017 @ 10:05 am
Not to take anything away from TT, but could you imagine if Fullbright was still part of the band? Huge fan of both, it would be like the country Oklahoma version of DBT w/Isbell.
Someguy
October 20, 2017 @ 10:21 am
Never heard of Fullbright, thanks for the tip
Whiskeytown
October 20, 2017 @ 11:49 am
John Fullbright, check him out. His songwriting and playing is up there with the best. Very talented musician.
jace
October 20, 2017 @ 1:12 pm
I’ve thought about this too! It’d be incredible. John has been REALLY strong live lately, and he has always been very good. Haven’t scoped the credits to the new album, but up until this one, he’s usually still doing accordion parts and usually cowrites a song or two. Maybe not this time with Hank full time?
Speedlimit9
October 22, 2017 @ 6:44 pm
I believe he has a piano part and a co-write on this album.
Jon
October 22, 2017 @ 9:03 pm
Co-write of “Pay No Rent,” if I’m not mistaken.
10-GEN-NC
October 21, 2017 @ 10:08 am
Love his music but wasn’t aware he used to be part of the band!
Wayfast
October 20, 2017 @ 10:17 am
Turnpike is always my go to for anyone curious about what modern country music should be.
BroCountry Satan
October 20, 2017 @ 10:17 am
Is it possible that Jimmy from “The Funeral” is also the Jimmy from “The Bird Hunters” and “The Mercury” who in turn would be the narrator in “The Housefire?”
gbkeith
October 20, 2017 @ 11:10 am
Jimmy isn’t in The Bird Hunters. He is in The Mercury with Lorrie. The Bird Hunter is the narrator of The Housefire though.
BroCountry Satan
October 20, 2017 @ 11:13 am
The name of the narrator in “The Bird Hunters” is Jim
BroCountry Satan
October 20, 2017 @ 11:14 am
The name of the narrator in “The Bird Hunters” is Jim.
gbkeith
October 20, 2017 @ 11:19 am
Negatory. You’re confusing the dog and the narrator. Danny from The Bird Hunters is the narrator of Down Here if that helps any.
BroCountry Satan
October 20, 2017 @ 11:22 am
Well… I guess we interpreted who Jim was differently.
BroCountry Satan
October 20, 2017 @ 11:23 am
Your way makes more sense
gbkeith
October 20, 2017 @ 11:26 am
I believe it was all confirmed by RC and Felker on the Newslang podcast.
BroCountry Satan
October 20, 2017 @ 11:27 am
Gotcha. I had not heard that
Whiskeytown
October 20, 2017 @ 11:54 am
And this is what makes the band so damn good. Felker can write a song that resonates with so many types of people. To have characters span across different albums in different songs is pretty clever and shows his songwriting abilities.
BroCountry Satan
October 20, 2017 @ 12:13 pm
WHiskeytown I agree with you. I dont think there is another songwriter that captures life in rural Middle America better than Felker, aside from maybe Isbell. I feel like I know, and have been myself, all of the characters that Felker writes about. Pretty sure I was married to Lorrie once
Rachel
October 20, 2017 @ 12:57 pm
I have never had anyone else agree with me about old Jim being the dog in the bird Hunters but I have been certain of it so I’m glad to know I have company!
JP
November 7, 2017 @ 10:20 am
The key to Jim is in the line “Look at ol’ Jim, a dozen Decembers behind him…” The narrator would obviously be older than 12 years.
Ben
October 21, 2017 @ 6:04 pm
“And the old english pointer he once belonged to me, but I gave him up…….” “Dan says look at old Jim, a dozen December’s behind him and no worse for the wear…”
Jim in The Bird Hunters is definitely the dog.
Scott Fuchs
October 20, 2017 @ 10:53 am
Hey Trigger, good review. I saw TT headline at Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, TX to a sold out crowd. I went because I am a huge Lucero fan and they opened. But I really enjoyed TT too. One question about your excellent review/article: you mentioned that Stapleton isn’t solidly, reliably, country. I get that with Isbell and Simpson but I’m surprised to read Stapleton in the same sentence. I’m not saying you are wrong and not being contrarian, I’m just legitimately interested to hear your take why Stapleton isn’t always undeniably country. Thank you. I enjoy your website.
Trainwreck92
October 20, 2017 @ 3:17 pm
Hey, I was at that show too. I really wish Lucero had gotten to play longer, but TT made up for it in spades.
Ryan
October 20, 2017 @ 4:32 pm
Playing clubs in spades
Trigger
October 20, 2017 @ 6:05 pm
Chris Stapleton is a country artist, and I firmly believe that. He does have what some consider a more R&B voice, but his voice is all his own and he can’t help what comes out when he opens his mouth. He’s from rural Kentucky coal country, and that’s the way he sings.
However I can’t mention Stapleton anymore without the conversation immediately veering to how he’s not a country singer, and his music is not country. If I post a Chris Stapleton article on Facebook, this is the very first accusation. It fills up the comments here on the site. I disagree with this assessment, though I do see the point. But whether I think Stapleton is country or not, a prevailing thought that is growing louder and louder is that he isn’t. It’s not hurting his sales at all. In fact it is probably helping.
True or not, my point is you don’t really see that accusation with Turnpike, unless it is from hardline purists who love to hate everything. Stapleton is polarizing. Sturgill is polarizing. It’s very rare to find someone who hates the Turnpike Troubadours.
RHP-997
October 23, 2017 @ 2:18 pm
Wait, Lucero had to open for TT? That’s absolutely insane in my opinion.
BrandonWard
October 20, 2017 @ 11:06 am
Wow. Another amazing effort, and I wouldn’t have expected anything less.
Perhaps even more remarkably…..as I am typing this, there have been 44 previous posts/comments, and even taking into consideration the one slight disagreement about whether or not they are the best live band, THERE HASN’T BEEN ONE NEGATIVE POST YET!!!!!! I have been a fan of this site for years,though only a recent poster, and I cant recall the last time that has happened.
That being said, now I’m off to listen to the Willie and Margo CDs. It feels like Christmas came early this year!
Broncaho
October 20, 2017 @ 12:35 pm
Places Turnpike Troubadours have played besides Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri:
Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Italy, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, Great Britain, even within the arctic circle.
Just sayin.
Cameron
October 20, 2017 @ 3:29 pm
I saw them in Mobile, AL this year.
Trigger
October 20, 2017 @ 6:07 pm
Didn’t mean to be accusatory or act like they haven’t played other places. But it is a very real struggle for Texas and Red Dirt bands to build similar fans bases outside of the region, and I think the booking agents would completely agree. I’m not saying that to be critical of anybody, or to say that it’s impossible for them to go national. But it’s a challenge.
Wayne
October 20, 2017 @ 12:57 pm
Turnpike Troubadours ARE what Midland WISHES they could be.
Not hating on Midland just stating a fact.
Kevin Davis
October 20, 2017 @ 1:05 pm
Well, they’re not really trying to do the same thing. Midland is going for an Eagles meets Yoakam sound, with heavy emphasis on the Eagles. In their interview with Kix Brooks, they gush about the Eagles and how that’s what they strove for in the album. They nailed it, in my opinion. I love the album. And I love every TT album. I would, of course, not put Midland on the same level as TT, but I wouldn’t even really compare them in the first place.
By the way, I saw Midland this past weekend, and they were excellent. I heard lots of positive reactions from the audience afterwards.
Wayne
October 20, 2017 @ 1:31 pm
You’re definitely right Sound-wise. I was more referring to the fact that Midland tries to pitch themselves as a self-made band that worked their way to the top in the Texas/Red Dirt country scene, whereas TT actually did that. And that Midland feels like they “try” to look and feel country, where TT actually does that naturally.
My opinions though.
Kevin Davis
October 20, 2017 @ 1:51 pm
Ah, okay, I can see that. Personally, I think the whole authenticity stuff about Midland has been overblown, as I noted here at SCM in the comments for Trigger’s two hit pieces. Sure, they have some blame in how they presents themselves in their back-story and, to some extent, in their too self-conscious visual presentation. (And, Wide Open Country’s rebuttal to Trigger is worth reading, but I don’t know the details to know who is right in every respect.) Regardless, I clearly don’t weigh these things in the same way that others do. It’s a fantastic album.
Bob
October 20, 2017 @ 9:32 pm
Midlands music is better, maybe not everything else, but based purely off of music, midland is better
Jon
October 20, 2017 @ 10:48 pm
Not until they put out four albums worth of music they wrote and performed themselves.
What you’re saying is Shane MacAnally’s mad libs are better.
Broncaho
October 20, 2017 @ 1:18 pm
Places Turnpike Troubadours have played besides Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri:
Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Italy, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, Great Britain, even within the arctic circle.
Just sayin.
Cool Lester Smooth
October 20, 2017 @ 5:55 pm
“Places they have played” is not the same as “places they play. They only rarely come north of NY.
Kross
October 20, 2017 @ 1:22 pm
they always do well in Georgia. I’ve seen them in Atlanta and Athens. all sold out shows. smaller venues, but not that small. that’s saying something in the land of Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean.
joey
October 20, 2017 @ 1:25 pm
Trigger, you missed something: Felker gets added bonus points for being a pointing dog guy and an upland bird hunter. Luke Bryan might be sponsored by Cabela’s, but Felker is the real deal. Upland Bird hunting with a well-trained pointing dog is simply one of the most pure and refined arts of the western world and perhaps takes the most dedication out of all the outdoors sports. Felker can certainly rock the stage, but his pursuit of upland birds with a pointing dog truly elevates the man to that of the immortal class.
countrycanuck
October 20, 2017 @ 2:30 pm
Felker also recently went on a horseback elk hunt in Idaho with Corb Lund- the guy gets it. I only wish they could have recorded a tune or two while out there.
Aggc
October 20, 2017 @ 8:10 pm
How does shooting birds elevate him to ‘immortal’ status?
Scott
October 22, 2017 @ 7:33 pm
And he obviously knows the sport. You can’t write those lyrics from hearing about bird hunting or doing it once. Only birds hunters know what it’s like to kick up a single or two or know the beauty of a Belgium made Browning. I’m a sweet sixteen man myself.
Jon
October 22, 2017 @ 9:05 pm
Coming soon to Buzzfeed:
21 Things Only True Bird Hunters Will Understand
scott
October 20, 2017 @ 2:12 pm
Got to see these guys again this summer, and while they were always really good the times I’ve seen them before, this time they were so tight and brought so much energy it seemed as if they could (or should) be playing to a packed arena rather than to a couple hundred people at a summer festival. They are to actual country music what Blackberry Smoke is to real, Southern, rock and roll. Peerless.
Trainwreck92
October 20, 2017 @ 3:35 pm
I knew when Tyler Childers’ “Purgatory” came out a while back that this record would be the only thing that could top it for me this year and I believe I was right. At the very least it’s on the same (very high) level that “Purgatory” was on, if it hasn’t quite surpassed it.
Joe Doran
October 21, 2017 @ 5:40 pm
It’s been a good year for country/Americana/whatever (excuse me for not knowing where the dividing lines run exactly and in truth I’m not really that bothered, good music is good music).
I’ve really liked albums from Isbell, Eady, Stuart, Childers, Nelson and now these lads too. Stapleton’s wasn’t bad either and I quite liked Cory Branan’s too. Good times.
I’ve got to be honest, I heard a couple of tracks off this TT album before it came out and I wasn;t that impressed, but for whatever reason I think they work much better in context and the album, as a whole, is great.
Stringbuzz
October 23, 2017 @ 4:43 pm
just saw tyler twice over the weekend..him and his band (he has a fiddle/guitar player fulltime now) was freaking top notch fantastic
Corncaster
October 20, 2017 @ 4:22 pm
Might have to give these boys a listen.
Wyatt
October 20, 2017 @ 4:53 pm
For me, the first time I listened through the whole album I thought it was a solid album but not as good as any of their others. But the more I listen the more I think it actually outshines the rest! Weird how that works. There isn’t a song on the album I don’t love, as opposed to the rest which have at least 1 of 2 per album (A Little Song, Quit While I’m Ahead, Leaving and Lonely) that are good but nothing special in my opinion. My favorites have to be Pipe Bomb Dream, WSMB, and A Tornado Warning but seriously they are all excellent. Also, Something to Hold On To is awesome live.
Cool Lester Smooth
October 20, 2017 @ 6:01 pm
My only (mild) criticism is that there doesn’t really seem to be a roar-along song in the vein of Ringing in the Year, Good Lord Lorrie…or half the songs off Diamonds and Gasoline.
Jon
October 20, 2017 @ 10:50 pm
What do you mean by roar-along?
Cool Lester Smooth
October 21, 2017 @ 9:35 am
I was at a Randy show, and they had a playlist on while the opening act got set up.
When Long Hot Summer Day came on, everyone in the building shouted every damn word at the top of their lungs.
Every Girl, 7&7 or Down on Washington would have gotten the same reaction.
At their best, TT manage to be smart, specific vivid and deeply melancholy, while featuring a better pop hook than anything you’ll find on the radio.
Jon
October 21, 2017 @ 2:42 pm
You don’t think any song on this new record has that potential? Feel like it’s too early to tell how that will shake down. I wouldn’t have picked Long Hot Summer Day to be one, either.
CountryKnight
October 21, 2017 @ 6:36 am
CLS,
You and I don’t usually agree but this comment summarizes my thoughts quite nicely. Explains why “Diamonds and Gasoline” is my favorite.
Carrie Anne
October 23, 2017 @ 8:28 am
Agreed! This would also be my only mild criticism as well. I know exactly what you mean.
Kudzu Kenny
October 24, 2017 @ 9:10 pm
I don’t know about everybody else but I’ll be getting hammered drunk and singing tornado warning incoherently at the next show of theirs I catch
Cool Lester Smooth
October 24, 2017 @ 9:16 pm
Tornado Warning and Unrung definitely have that potential…and you have to remember that I’m grading them against the *absurdly* high standard they set in their few several releases.
Corncaster
October 20, 2017 @ 6:04 pm
I listened to a bunch of videos on YT.
They can sound like Camper Van Beethoven, aren’t as studied as Old Crow, aren’t hard-core enough for Bloodshot. The melodies are ordinary. Arrangements are ordinary. Keys are what you expect: sharp, G, D, E, an occasional F. Felker’s voice is ordinary. He’s a good writer.
They strike me as kind of a Mellencamp version of alt-country. They’re a tight, basic folk-rock band with a decent free-range writer. I like ’em and would drink happily in a bar to them, but their songs aren’t memorable.
Guess I’m the turd in all the sidewalk confetti, sorry.
Cameron
October 20, 2017 @ 7:36 pm
You’re entitled to you’re opinion but I think you’re wrong. Who in your opinion is better in the genre?
Corncaster
October 21, 2017 @ 4:52 pm
That’s cool, not a problem. Not sure which genre you’re thinking of. Jason Boland has a really good band. Mike and the Moonpies, same, but more traditional country. I think of these guys as right in the mix of all them.
Jon
October 20, 2017 @ 9:08 pm
Who in the hell do you like that isn’t 20+ years in?
Corncaster
October 21, 2017 @ 4:54 pm
Lots. O’Hora, Outlaw, and Childers are getting heavy rotation these days. I think they’re fine writers in a good diversity of rhythms and feels.
Jon
October 21, 2017 @ 6:12 pm
Can’t argue with those choices. I take it you like a lot more traditional country sound, without much rock influence?
Jim L.
October 20, 2017 @ 10:06 pm
Did you skip over Evangeline, Kansas City Southern, Before the Devil Knows We’re Dead? All great songs.
Corncaster
October 21, 2017 @ 4:54 pm
I probably did. I’d like to hear more, and will. Thanks for the recs.
Jtrpdx
October 21, 2017 @ 6:10 am
Don’t feel too bad! Those are all valid and honest points, corncaster.
Jack Williams
October 21, 2017 @ 11:17 am
Well, that’s one hot take, I guess. As the saying goes, YMMV. As far as I’m concerned, they have many, many memorable songs. Pretty much the whole Goodbye Normal Street album, for starters. And I love Felker as a singer and I think he has intangible qualities.
Camper Van Beethoven? I don’t know. That’s not one I’ve thought of when listening to them. Early Counting Crows a little.
Corncaster
October 21, 2017 @ 5:00 pm
I’ll keep listening, thanks.
Camper was too hot a take. More like Cracker, Old 97s, anyone playing rock drums with overdriven tele cowboy chords, pretty good lyrics/melodies, some fiddle or steel for color, and an earnest, sincere desire to connect with the audience.
Again, I ain’t complaining.
Cameron
October 20, 2017 @ 7:32 pm
It’s close….but Turnpike wins imo. Purgatory is a great album. Both of em left Moreland in the dust which I didn’t think was possible when big bad luv was released.
Jtrpdx
October 21, 2017 @ 6:13 am
I don’t see how you can fairly compare the two. Tyler’s approach to writing and the varied song structures and influences on Purgatory make for a difficult comparison with any sort of more straightforward country or southern rock album IMO.
Michael
October 20, 2017 @ 7:50 pm
Absolutely love it. Does anybody else hear the hints to Road Goes On Forever in Oklahoma Stars?
LG
October 21, 2017 @ 1:02 pm
Yes! And parts of The Housefire remind me a bit of Tom Petty’s Wildflowers.
David Jones
October 20, 2017 @ 8:02 pm
No one leaves moreland in the dust. In my opinion the greatest song writer.
Jon
October 20, 2017 @ 9:14 pm
Ain’t no way Tyler Childers, or TT, leaves John Moreland in the dust, and I say that with great respect for Mr. Childers. You can prefer any of the three, no question. But leaving Moreland in the dust is a joke. He can hold his own with any of them.
Fortunately we don’t really have to choose and can enjoy them all. 2017 may be the best year for new music this decade.
Jtrpdx
October 21, 2017 @ 6:21 am
Again, all 3 of these guys have totally different approaches and styles. You can’t really compare Moreland and Childers with TT on a level playing field without ones bias for one genre of music over another coming into play (in this case Americana singer songwriter vs. singer songwriter with heavy bluegrass / country influences vs. alt country / southern rock.). The Moreland vs childers comparison is interesting, but where you come out on that one really depends on how miserable of a soul you are 😛. Both great lyricists (as is TT), but I think childers gets my vote for his story telling ability and willingness to mix it up and bring in more traditional influences into the structure of his songs. Also love his picking.
Don
October 21, 2017 @ 6:19 am
I wish they could put out an album without the use of profanity. The problem I have with great groups like this is that they cannot abstain from using the F-bomb at least once or twice in a few of their songs. That’s okay when I’m on my own, but this is why I’m stuck listening to the f***ing Trolls sound track on road trips. I’d love to introduce my daughter to this type of country music but they make it hard.
Wyatt
October 21, 2017 @ 6:45 am
The only song in past albums to cuss was Ringing in the Year I believe. Bothered me a bit too.
CountryKnight
October 21, 2017 @ 6:58 am
Yeah, it caught me by surprise when that F word was sung.
CountryKnight
October 21, 2017 @ 6:54 am
Especially if it really doesn’t add to the song. Personally, I have rarely seen the F word used well. Mostly just as shock value.
Kudzu Kenny
October 22, 2017 @ 8:07 pm
Elephant-Jason Isbell. No other word would of worked IMO
hoptowntiger94
October 21, 2017 @ 10:23 am
https://youtu.be/stoqlBRZa9o
Jack Williams
October 21, 2017 @ 11:56 am
Just so you know, so it’s set in stone,
Kid Rock don’t come from where I come from..
Yeah, it’s true, he’s a Yank, he ain’t no son of Hank..
And if you thought so, well goddamn, you’re fuckin’ dumb.
Joe Doran
October 21, 2017 @ 5:46 pm
Kid Rock really should have stuck to being a rich kid drug dealer. He’s comically awful at music and politics.
Cool Lester Smooth
October 21, 2017 @ 1:50 pm
Maybe make a playlist on your phone?
Not quite as easy as popping in a CD, but it would let you excise the cursing songs for road trips.
Corncaster
October 21, 2017 @ 5:03 pm
You can pull the song into something like Audacity and nix the profanity.
But still, yeah. I’m with you.
Sometimes people put the cussing in so as to exclude certain kinds of listeners. That’s fine, but as you say, it’s limiting. And ultimately childish.
Ll28
October 22, 2017 @ 5:47 am
I’m probably in the minority here, but I would never want an artist to censor him- or herself because a few children here or there could possibly hear it.
That said, my kids (8 and 11) listen to the same music I do, occasional profanity and all. In fact, Ryan Adams “Come Pick me Up” (come pick me up/take me out/fuck me up) is one of my kids’ favorites. It’s my job as their parent to make sure they know that it’s inappropriate for children to use such language, not the artists’ job to keep them from hearing it. I don’t want them to miss out on great music because of the occasional curse word. Baby/bathwater etc etc.
We live in an age where children are taught to hide under their desks and be quiet in case there’s an active shooter in their schools. They see the news, the shootings and intolerance and divisiveness. Surely a few f bombs here and there won’t permanently scar them compared to the reality they live in.
Jtrpdx
October 22, 2017 @ 11:22 am
Took the words out of my mouth.
Don
October 28, 2017 @ 6:14 am
No, they scar my wife though lol. As long as she is in the car, no Troubadors for me. The shame is: she is more inclined to listen to them, or that particular style, as she considers straight country too twangy.
Biscuit
October 21, 2017 @ 6:54 am
Just got this and it is a great album. Felker delivers of course but Hank Early gets MVP of this release for me.
Jon
October 21, 2017 @ 6:16 pm
I wouldn’t say MVP, but I also wouldn’t not say that. Love his work on this record.
RedDirtCyclone
October 21, 2017 @ 9:09 am
Fantastic Album. These guys sure don’t do much wrong musically.
seak05
October 21, 2017 @ 10:04 am
I’d love to see them live, but they apparently decided that the East Coast doesn’t exist between NYC and middle Va (or north of NYC).
Jack Williams
October 21, 2017 @ 11:23 am
I’ve not seen them yet, but they’ve played the DC area before. Birchmere flex stage and Fillmore in Silver Spring come to mind. Maybe they’ll come through later in 2018.
Cool Lester Smooth
October 21, 2017 @ 1:47 pm
They came to Boston in the spring!
CountryKnight
October 21, 2017 @ 2:08 pm
Once again, you are wrong.
I saw them in Philadelphia which is between NYC and Virginia. They also played in Silver Spring, Maryland.
seak05
October 21, 2017 @ 2:22 pm
Is this how you get your jollies off? Attempting to put me down in the comments section of an internet blog? That’s just very sad for you. Clearly I was referring to the current tour schedule.
CountryKnight
October 22, 2017 @ 9:17 am
Nothing in your comment implied that.
Nice try at covering your tracks, though.
jvnyk
October 21, 2017 @ 5:41 pm
He is right they skipped Philly this time around which is just not cool.
Wesley Gray
October 21, 2017 @ 11:01 am
These guys make me so proud to be from Oklahoma. Easily one of my favorite bands ever and this new record? almost too good to be true. I agree 100% with everything you boldly stated in this review, Trigger.
Darren
October 21, 2017 @ 12:06 pm
“Unrung” is the best thing I have heard in years.
Fredrick Beondo
October 24, 2017 @ 12:04 pm
Maybe it’s because he just passed away before this came out, but I hear Petty all over this, as in I could hear him having covered this and nobody would think it *was* a cover…love this song 👍
SarahZ
October 21, 2017 @ 12:35 pm
I can only hope the reason for their remaining out of mainstream radio has to do with them making no deals with the devil…may they never do so!
norrie
October 21, 2017 @ 1:16 pm
Unexpected bonus my Amazon UK order arrived today instead of Monday and it’s on lovely 2 x 45 rpm clear vinyl for the same price as a standard album would cost.They’ve changed the price now but it’s a rare win for me.It sounds absolutely fantastic better than most new vinyl records and it’s an absolute gem of an album one of the years best.
CaliforniaTruthTeller
October 21, 2017 @ 5:11 pm
On a road trip in the summer of 2014, we wandered into a bar in Jackson, Wyoming in the hopes of hearing a decent band… and TT – whom we’d never before even heard of – hijacked our musical lives. I also accidentally “met” Bruce Springsteen playing in a Pennsylvania coffee house in 1973, and that’s the only experience that even compares to discovering Turnpike. Evan Felker is cut from that same cloth – a songwriter whose fundamental understanding of what it means to live, learn, and love the American working life rivals the genius of Steinbeck and Twain. Add to that an eclectic crew of cohorts that blend extraordinary musicianship, bone-breaking live energy, and viscerally joyous irreverence, and you don’t just have the best country band on the planet – you’ve got the best damn band, period. “A Long Way From Your Heart” shimmers, cajoles, sprints, and caresses – a consummate song set that continues Turnpike’s upward trajectory toward seemingly inevitable stardom, but remains grounded in the experiential truths about our daily realities that Felker and his cowriters so deftly and consistently capture. We’ll hit the road again next summer, in the hopes of again chasing the Troubadours around the highways of the West, and knowing that wherever we find them, we’ll see much more than a great show and an infused crowd: it’ll be real people living real lives playing real music. (And if we’re really lucky, maybe we’ll run into them at a bar afterwards and buy them all more than a few shots of smooth bourbon whiskey… )
Craig
October 23, 2017 @ 8:23 am
Right on, Trigger.
Gopokes
October 23, 2017 @ 10:29 am
http://www.wideopencountry.com/a-long-way-from-your-heart/
You may have seen this already, but I found it pretty cool and gave an possible answer to Sunday morning paper.
Parth Venkat
October 23, 2017 @ 5:22 pm
Gonna give my completely uneducated song by song review for no other reason that I wanted to. What an album. Apologies for my terrible writing.
1) The Housefire – Truly brilliant song writing and fantastic opening track and single. Classic turnpike simplicity in lyricism. Lovely and catchy chorus, emotionally complex, lovely family references throughout. Really has a chance to help push them nationally / globally. My only complaint is it is clear there is a radio push in this song’s production. Evan’s vocals sound a little polished and not as rough as I like and not nearly enough fiddle. But seriously, is there any doubt how loudly fans will be singing
“Lord knows that I’ve been blessed
I can stand up to the test
I can live on so much less, this much I been learning” at every show from now on forever?
Bravo boys, bravo.
2) Something to Hold on To – This song is just alright for me. I really appreciate the southern rock influence, the motoring lyrics and the harmonies but it just doesn’t fit for me. Guitar solo is a bit 70s rock cheesy, The chorus is just kind of like a boring CCR song which is better than lots of things but feels like this might be a skip from now one. Hope it grows on me but I think the bridge would have had to be way raw’er and emotional for me to spend much more time on this song.
3) Intro to Winding Stair Mountain Blues has me really excited to digest …. yeah the song is f’ing brilliant. Clearly a “sequel” to before the devil knows your dead and oh so worthy. The dylan references, the heavy fiddle, the slow downed final chorus ripping into a wild outro … this is a song for the ages. So much to figure out, gonna be loving this one for years. This is definitely a depth we haven’t always seen in TT until now. Some more country fans might get frustrated with the almost angry tone but this is some real ass music right here. Total masterpiece. I could see some of the more Americana / Bluegrass / Folk crowds that have been sleeping on these guys find some love here.
4) Unrung – i’m totally filing this one as a INC on the review. I love the melody and the pacing but i just don’t get it. I’m totally missing the point … i’ll update this after another 40 listens.
5) A tornado Warning – yup nailed it. Straight ass country dancer that you can listen to on infinite loop. Powerful repped riff, lovely such personal lyrics. It’s just a god damn song about him and his life that captures so much of what people love about the country life. Just the dichotomy of them saying how happy they are with the terrible weather … is just so red dirt. It’s almost a response to ZBB’s brilliant ass colder weather which is a weather song that’s so heavy. And this one is actually about the shitty ass weather and how much fun it can be. There’s just something wrong with you if you can’t enjoy this song. Really one of the best on the album.
6) Pay No Rent – this is going to be the song that everyone talks about and for good reason. It’s f’ing brilliant in it’s simplicity yet deepness and originality. The hook kind of sucks (pay no rent is a super cop out) but everything else is divine. It’s almost an extended version of Simon and Garfunkel’s April, she will come. Just an incredible arch of true / first love. What am i talking about, this is the reprise of 7&7 right? Never being good enough, being that f’ up, something about dominoes hahaha it’s just a great song.
7) The Hard Way – this is a song this album needed. The album has been great to this point but heavy as shit. This is a bit of a country drinker with a lovely hook. Kind of this album’s randy rogers band song? But it needed it. Is there a second single? This will have to be it and it has a chance. It’s lovely. Total Tom Petty Happy yet brooding, right? I think there’s an even the losers warming nature of this track. But make no mistake, albums need a track here and there that doesn’t REQUIRE thinking to enjoy. I think it really held back Sturgill and Stapleton’s last fantastic efforts, sometimes you need your “The Hard Way”. Also mad props for keeping it short and simple.
8) Old time Feeling (Like Before) – um, total tear jerker. Probably my fav on the album. This song is Willie good (see what I did there, i’ll be here all week). Love when Evan takes off the polish and just let’s his ridiculous almost whiney yodeling voice rip at your heart strings. I mean seriously, did he write this bridge about me?
“Well I’m the same old me you know
Fucking up the status quo
Trouble all the way up to my neck
And I can keep it cool and new until you catch me half past two
Just about that time and I’m a wreck”
Ugh, and that major chord progression on the pedal steel is so simple and fantastic. How has this song not been written 30 times before. Just bravo. I’d LOVE to hear people of all different voices covering this one. Just a must hear classic.
9) Pipe Bomb Dream – This should have been the last track of the album. Clearly stole the hook from something else, (maybe Holly Williams the Highway?) but who the fuck cares. It’s great. It’s fiddle heavy, up beat, classic Evan mysterious up and down symbolism that makes him so intriguing and endearing. It’s a straight ass lovely Outlaw song that would have been a fantastic finish to a fantastic album.
10) So after calling the last song what should be the last, i need a way out cuz this is a worthy track to be on the album. Should definitely flipped. Nothing to complain about in this track. It’s a pretty country song that follows the shooting star arch of love that i used above. I’m sure it will be someone’s fav on the album, and it’s definitely good, just a bit basic. Plus who the fuck cares if they’re from OK, no one wants to sing about that god forsaken state anyway. They roll their joints all wrong. Reason they all come south.
11) Sunday Morning Paper – No idea what their editors were thinking. This song has no business finishing this album. Reminds me of ZBB’s ridiculous sic em on a chicken that let me down so many years ago. It’s not a bad song, it just has nothing to do with this album. Sure i like the lyrics and talking about beating god damn big machine and the “it’s just rock and roll” is a nice hook. But the syncopation and jazzed up beat just doesn’t fit. Wouldn’t bug me if this was track 7 and it’s Evan’s album and i think he sounds like he really enjoys the track but it ain’t for me. Would have been way braver to release this as a 10 song album and throw this on as a bonus track for the rerelease 🙂
Takeaway – Might be my fav album since Traveler. Definitely a must listen that will go down in country music gospel for anyone who gives it the time of day. Should as Saving Country Music wrote help push the best band in the red dirt scene if not all of country music to the perch / mountain top they deserve. I’m still thinking this album will end up both overrated and underrated at the same time. It really could have used a few more single / poppy songs to hook in the more country audiences and i’m not sure there’s a song that’s Every Girl, 7&7, Morgan Street universally enjoyable tho some might get there (especially with better audio than my tv). But on the other hand, this is EVAN’S album. There is so much of him and his band and his fellow song writers in this. So fuck me and my criticism. This shit is personal, fantastic, Dylanesque, and just plain ass fantastic. That’s not easy to do with their touring schedule and on a 4th album. The 3rd had some bright spots but let me down overall. This may be their deepest album and that’s certainly saying something. Alright kids, what do you think?
Roland of Gilead
October 24, 2017 @ 8:05 am
Parth Venkat, I think “Unrung” is about a May/December romance between an older man and a much younger woman and I’m pretty sure “Sunday Morning Paper” is about fellow Oklahoma musician Leon Russell.
Parth Venkat
October 24, 2017 @ 10:41 am
Thanks!
musicfan
October 24, 2017 @ 1:54 pm
With some Merle Haggard thrown in also.
Roland of Gilead
October 24, 2017 @ 2:00 pm
Thanks, “Slicked back hair and prison blues” makes more sense now.
Gomer
October 24, 2017 @ 7:46 am
VIDEO UNAVAILABLE
Fredrick Beondo
October 24, 2017 @ 12:18 pm
Trigger, I don’t know how to put this…
I totally agree with you about the awesomeness of this album, even if it was highly recommended to me by an artist you have little good to say about, and that is Wheeler Walker Jr.
Being I’m from about the least country place you can speak of, NYC, this is definitely an album I’d have never heard about, but I am glad I bought it Friday on his recommendation, and it hasn’t left my rotation since.
I hear a lot of things in this album, tingles of Petty, DBT, Skynyrd, Eagles, Mumford, OCMS…Definitely already aimed at the top of my list of best CDs of 2017.
Trigger
October 24, 2017 @ 12:31 pm
I don’t have a problem with Wheeler Walker Jr.
I do think his bit has become kind of tired, and I don’t like the fact that he talks all this anti-pop country stuff and then pals around Shane McAnally and Bobby Bones. But I think he helps stir the pot and keeps things interesting in country music.
Fredrick Beondo
October 24, 2017 @ 12:55 pm
Fair enough, though what has been interesting about following his podcast is that his stance on pop country has softened somewhat, as he’s gotten to know more of those artists who have actually sought him out to compliment him on his albums. On last week’s episode, for instance, where he interviewed the Brothers Osborne, he admitted early on he didn’t initially think he would like their music, but he was pleasantly surprised by them. [Granted, I read the review of Pawn Shop here, and it doesn’t come off well, but that seems to be par for the SCM course.] I ended up buying their EP & PS on iTunes and the CDs of PS and TT’s latest off Amazon due to his recommendations.
I’m not saying I’m any authority, but I know what I like, and if liking WWJr, TT, and Brothers Osborne is wrong, I got no interest in being right. 😎
JP
November 7, 2017 @ 10:11 am
I had very high hopes for this album, but a tiny voice in the back of my head kept trying to warn me not to get too excited, because any new album was likely to fall a bit short of the genius that was TT’s eponymous album. Well…guess what…my cautionary inner voice shut right the hell up when I gave this new album a full listen!
A Long Way From Your Heart is TT at their best, once again. Every tune is fantastic, top to bottom. It’s almost hard to find a standout because every single one stands out in its own way. Still, Winding Mountain Stair really resonates with me, freaking love that one!
These guys are truly amazing, and I never would have even know about them if not for this site. I stumbled upon them reading reviews for Sturgill’s Metamodern album on this site. Kudos & keep up the great work, Trigger!!!