Album Review – Stephen Wilson Jr.’s “søn of dad”
In a true procrastinator’s fashion, I have waited until the final dying moments of the year to tackle 2023’s most difficult album to review, and the one that will include some of the most dissenting viewpoints from prevailing sentiments, and opinions that are most likely to be misunderstood. But with some outlets proclaiming Stephen Wilson Jr.’s søn of dad as either the best album of 2023 or one of the best, it deserves dutiful attention and scrutiny.
It’s not that søn of dad is a “bad” album by any stretch, though it does include some very bad songs to go along with some very good ones. At 21 tracks, you have a lot to sift through, and it follows the career arc of an artist over a 4-year span who ventures towards more quality, honesty, and authenticity. But that’s not where it starts, and you have to consider the totality of the work to come to an accurate assessment. And when doing so, it’s easy to conclude that the hyperbolic praise for this album is unwarranted.
The first thing that you need to understand about Stephen Wilson Jr.—and what has been scandalously overlooked by many of his proponents—is that he is 100% a creature of mainstream, major label, Music Row commercial country, full stop. Forget the plaudits about “authenticity,” “rawness” and “realness” that are common preambles to any conversation about Stephen Wilson Jr. and his music. The simple truth is that he is from and of the mainstream industry.
Earlier this year, there was a lot of talk surrounding Oliver Anthony and his super viral song “Rich Men North of Richmond” and how he was allegedly an “industry plant” and the product of “Astroturfing.” Despite the vehemence of some asserting these accusations, no actual evidence has ever materialized to support these claims, even here months after the phenomenon.
If there was an artist that exploded on the scene in 2023 due to support from the mainstream industry, but through independent and grassroots channels, it would be Stephen Wilson Jr. This is not a commentary on his music or even his character necessarily. But it’s also not an opinion. It’s an empirical truth.
Though popular Stephen Wilson Jr. songs such as “billy” and “Holler from the Holler” would have you believing this is an artist from rural West Virginia or Kentucky who’s part of the independent country music insurgency bursting out from Appalachia, Stephen’s actually from the flat land of Seymour, Indiana, best known as the home of John Mellencamp.
Stephen Wilson Jr. has a degree in microbiology from MTSU, and worked for multiple years for the multi-billion-dollar Mars Corporation, known for making M&Ms and Pedigree dog food among dozens of other corporate American brands. He quit that career path to sign a publishing deal with BMG Nashville in August of 2016, writing songs for terrible pop country acts such as Old Dominion, Chase Bryant, and MacKenzie Porter, along with more established names like Tim McGraw and Trace Adkins.
To make søn of dad, Stephen Wilson Jr. partnered with producer Ben West. After migrating from pop to country as a sync agent working with Disney and pop country producer Busbee, Ben West is now signed to a company called Creative Nation, co-owned by mega mainstream country hit writer Luke Laird. søn of dad is released on Big Loud, which is the same label as Morgan Wallen and HARDY.
None of this disqualifies Stephen Wilson Jr. from making good or authentic country music. But it all explains the extremely list-like writing for certain songs, as well as the leaning on lyrical tropes, catchy hooks, and repetitiveness that have their origins in the formulaic writing rooms of corporate Nashville, and that can be found embedded throughout søn of dad.
It has been quizzical to outright alarming to see otherwise distinguishing critics and fans alike not sniff out the significant, and sometimes overwhelmingly trite elements in Stephen Wilson Jr.’s music. It’s not that he’s trying to hide his origin story (though strangely, a Wikipedia page is non-existent for him at the moment), or that he doesn’t have a compelling life story himself. It’s that it doesn’t sync up with many of his biggest songs, which happen to be outright Bro-Country in indie country disguise.
Stephen Wilson Jr. also released an EP earlier this year called bon aqua (read review). In fact, releasing an EP and half a dozen singles before re-releasing them in this full LP form is another dead giveaway that corporate country is involved. But you honestly don’t need a road map or an in-depth investigation to understand that the hype behind this music doesn’t match the substance. All you have to do is listen.
The song “American Gothic” with fellow Big Loud artist Hailey Whitters certainly evokes a moody, brooding attitude to go along with its Gothic theme. But the song ultimately boils down to an achingly repetitive machine gunning out of terms as opposed to trying to tell a story through narrative and character. Mellencamp, Springsteen, marijuana, seventeen. White frost, bean field, bonfire, kerosene” the chorus drones over and over.
Sure, it may not be the “truck, beer, tailgate, dirt road” laundry list that we’re used to from the mainstream set, but the approach is basically the same. It’s ditto for Wilson Jr.’s biggest hit “Year to Be Young 1994.” It’s evocation of nostalgia is effective on the audience, but the song devolves into a list of ’90s artifacts as opposed to engendering appeal by putting together any kind of deeper theme.
“Hometown” is a song that’s been done ad nauseum, and yet again relies on nostalgia for appeal, while the Lumineers-style Millennial whoop in the chorus is pretty unforgivable, however infectious it might be. “Holler from the Holler” feels like what a Bro-Country songwriter would come up with if he was told to rewrite “Whitehouse Road” by Tyler Childers. There’s no composition here in either the lyrics or the music. It just devolves into yelling, and hopes that loud and crunchy guitar can pull a content-bereft song through to the end.
“billy” devolves even more, taking bad Pixies-sounding indie rock guitar, another Lumineer’s-style “Hey!” for good measure, and repeats the line “You can call me Billy, but the hills come with me” a torturing sixteen times.
The Stephen Wilson Jr. approach seems to be to take safe and stock-like lyrics and apply a dirty and devolved musical accompaniment to them to present a veneer of independent authenticity. Not only is this deception transparent, one byproduct is that the instrumentation on this album is terrible throughout. There really isn’t one inspiring musical performance during this entire 21-song set.
Even if you listen to a Jason Aldean record, you’ll hear blazing guitar solos. They may be more indicative of arena rock than country, but at least they show some skill. Here, the music is a complete afterthought. Along with the droning of dark monotonous guitar chords, the scant synth-like rhythmic accompaniments hurt the cause more than help.
As we see from independent country fans commonly, if something sounds like shit, it must be cool, authentic, and organic. If it’s bright and slick, it must be pop and mainstream. It’s not that the Stephen Wilson Jr. approach couldn’t work, or that it isn’t working to some extent. But it’s often the instrumentation that helps tell the story in some of the best country music. You can be morose and still allow the music to be expressive. But that’s not what happens here.
Beyond the list songs, you have other stuff that sounds straight from Music Row’s writing rooms. You could swear “Cuckoo” is a castoff from an Eric Church project. No surprise when a check of the liner notes reveals regular Church collaborator Travis Meadows is one of the co-writers. “patches” takes on that same aspect, co-written by another common Nashville hit maker, Jeffrey Steele.
Even when a Stephen Wilson Jr. song goes off the mainstream country script, it’s still often sullied by mainstream mechanisms. “Grief Is Only Love” is also co-written with Jeffrey Steele, and is bolstered by a great one-liner. But similar to what plagues other Wilson Jr. songs, when a good line is issued over and over incessantly, it erodes its potency.
“Grief Is Only Love” comes during a run of songs about Stephen Wilson’s father that finally give søn of dad some desperately needed originality, as well as a personal touch. “Father’s Søn” sees a vulnerable side of Wilson Jr., and one that’s all his own. “Hang In There” inspired by a personal memento owned by his dad also hits home, and has you realizing how deep Wilson can go when inspired to.
Stephen Wilson Jr. was raised by a single father and competed in Golden Glove boxing competitions while growing up. This is the reason the cover art portrays him in a boxing ring. Tracks 10-12 contrast greatly with much of the other material on the album where Stephen Wilson Jr. is trying to be someone other than who he is while riding buzzwords and trends to find appeal.
Tracks 18-20 comprise a similar run of surprisingly great and sincerely originally-inspired tracks that show that Stephen Wilson Jr. deserves praise when he has his nose pointed in the right direction. The poignant and timely “All The Wars from Now On” is like nothing else you’ll ever hear from mainstream country, which is used to braying out pandering odes about “supporting the troops” with no substance behind them.
“kid” is yet another song that relies on the list approach to songwriting, but it’s also one that shows that lists are not always adverse if it’s paired with a compelling story and message. “Henry” might be the most heartfelt moment of the album. Stephen Wilson Jr. married singer and songwriter Leigh Nash of Sixpence None The Richer in 2011. Her son from a previous marriage is named Henry, and this song is Wilson speaking about his love beyond blood. “You” is likely about Leigh Nash, who Wilson has also collaborated with over the years.
As søn of dad transpires, a maturity and depth emerges that belies what the biggest songs from his bon aqua EP portray. It’s almost like you can see Stephen Wilson Jr.’s evolution as a songwriter and performer as the album plays out. But you also can’t unlisten to songs like “American Gothic” or “Holler from the Holler.” They’re part of this album too, and fly in the face of its critical acclaim like a poison pill. søn of dad does have some really good songs. But it also has a lot of bad ones where Stephen Wilson Jr. is outright cosplaying.
If søn of dad sold itself authentically as a mainstream country release, it would be one of the better mainstream releases of the season. But instead, Stephen Wilson Jr. seems to want to tap into the whole Appalachia authenticity thing, while still relying on the writing approach that he was indoctrinated in while working for BMG. You can’t have it both ways.
The album is bookened by two more excellent songs: “the devil” that he released all the way back in 2019, and “The Beginning,” which again shows a depth of perspective that might be unexpected if you’ve only heard Stephen Wilson Jr.’s top playlisted songs.
This all comes together to make søn of dad a confounding and inconsistent work that is arguably unworthy of being considered the “best” of anything in 2023. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its moments. But they should have isolated all the Bro-Country/fake “holler” stuff to his previously-released EP, and let the more evolved tracks inspired by Stephen Wilson Jr.’s father stand alone.
The way søn of dad unfolds gets you excited about what this artist might have in store for the future. But in the present, this album falls short of the expectations fawning fans and press have presented it with.
6.8/10
– – – – – – – – – –
A
December 29, 2023 @ 9:52 am
Been waiting for your thoughts on this one Trig, first time i have ever felt like posting.
Father’s Son was far and away my song of the year. I challenge any son who saw their father as super man when young, hated him with a passion through their next decade(s) or so, then reconnected in ways as the fog over maturity for the son and understanding of the father began to lift to listen to that song and not have an extremely moving moment.
Guess that is what is great about music, we can individually see songs in a different kaleidoscope. Keep ’em coming
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 9:58 am
Thanks for reading.
I think “Father’s Son” is one of the great songs on this album, and the reason that despite having a lot of negative to say about it, the album got a positive score. I think if Stephen Wilson Jr. continues in that direction, he could be a great artist. But he has to get loose of the tentacles of those Nashville writing sessions.
TeleCountry
January 1, 2024 @ 2:08 pm
I agree with every word of this review. 100%. I tried to like the album. I really did. There are just too many garbage songs and not enough good to carry the heavy dose of shit.
Tom Pace
April 4, 2024 @ 10:27 am
Trigger,
Thanks for your thoughtful review of “Son of Dad”. It is clear that you put much thought into it. However, there are several things about your review that rankled me.
Let me start by admitting that I know little about “Country” music and all of it’s alleged sub-genres. But I have been listening to music (rock, jazz, pop, etc.) for a long time and I can tell good from bad. Admittedly the distinction between the two is highly subjective. After all, it is art.
What bothers me is how rigidly you approached the review. I haven’t seen so many split hairs since my barber last took a thinning razor to me. Who cares that Wilson hails from Indiana or that he got a fancy college degree and then worked pushing M&Ms? Do these facts disqualify him from making a good album regardless of which bucket you want to put him in? As to the album’s length it could have benefitted from more editing but records that evolve from EPs do tend that way. But, honestly, I’d rather have a double album with 75% of the material I love, than a single with 100%. Who am I to say what should have been left on the cutting room floor? To claim to be the arbiter of good taste is a conceit. Give me all the material and let me choose. I don’t need you to do that for me. Going back 55 years, most of us felt the Beatles’ “White Album” was too long and sometimes silly. That didn’t prevent it from becoming a classic.
As to the musicianship, I really don’t get your contempt. I think Wilson plays a great, soulful guitar and his band knows when to keep to the basics and resists showoff solos. OK, maybe there are no Glen Campbells or Roy Clarks in the mix, but that would not fit within the slightly grungy, sorrowful flavor of the album. And the pedal steel was just right.
So I respect your right to have an opinion, but sometimes it felt like your efforts to be a contrarian were forced and your seeming contempt for the opinions of other music pundits was off-putting.
Was “Son of Dad” the best country release of 2023? I don’t know. But I know it’s the best thing I’ve heard in awhile and I am very glad your review didn’t dissuade me from checking it out.
Tom
Jonpardisucks
January 19, 2024 @ 6:07 am
“son of dad” is a line from Seinfeld..
T-Bone
December 29, 2023 @ 10:04 am
I am really pleased to read what you wrote here. I was starting to think I wasn’t getting something or was acquiring some disease where I was over-analyzing this for credibility. A good friend was raving about this and I was stunned when I listened to it. It was just more lists about different shit. I could smell the industry in the background from a lile away. The formula seems to be all about highly produced videos that try to appear lo-fi and authentic, while pulling Gen X folks back into country. They want to market Hank III’s edge and appeal with the discontented America but with more radio friendly content. Ughh…
Jason Estopinal
December 29, 2023 @ 10:24 am
Trig, I love you and your reviews, and I also love that taste is subjective.
This album is the best album since the Avett Brothers “Emotionalism”
A few things:
—He doesn’t hide he’s from Southern Indiana, it’s literally part of his schtick (“American Gothic” is rapid fire reminders). Not to mention where he’s from is called “Kentuckiana” because, well, you can assume.
—-Backed by the majors to be sure, but, he did the album and had not a single creative direction/commands given him from the elites (surely you could deduce that from your mentioning that the instrumentation being, as you said, “horrible” – for if they were behind this they would have satiated you).
—-Along the lines of your thoughts the musicianship is horrible, well, you are objectively wrong. You need only listen to his cat gut noodle festing and pickin and grinnin, or watch a video of him playing, this is no three chords and the truth basics but a robust and nuanced piece of prime musical output (not to mention the steel guitar is the guy for the Cleverlys and he makes that instrument sound like not many folks can while able to excel at traditional orthodox playing. And the cello was clearly there for mood as was the drums – and you’ll notice not a single cymbal on the album! These cats are brilliant!).
-“Billy” just might repeat some lines, but that’s because that’s what all the greatest of all genres have always done (Beatles, Cranberries, Jawbreaker, etc.). That song is a masterpiece
Ok, I only got as far on your review when I had to jump in on these, will finish it now and follow up.
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 11:34 am
Hey Jason,
I appreciate you chiming in. I shared this review knowing it’s a dissenting viewpoint from the vast majority of listeners and critics. I am perfectly okay with people disagreeing with it. I just hope people respect that my intention here is not to “attack” Stephen Wilson Jr., but share my concerns that I feel are well articulated and researched.
1) I’m not trying to say that he’s trying to hide from his Southern Indiana roots. What I said in the review was, “It’s not that he’s trying to hide his origin story (though strangely, a Wikipedia page is non-existent for him at the moment), or that he doesn’t have a compelling life story himself. It’s that it doesn’t sync up with many of his biggest songs.”
There are no hills or hollers in Seymour, Indiana. These songs were clearly trying to exploit the explosion of interest in Tyler Childers-like songs.
2) I never said that major label execs or strong arm producers muscled Stephen Wilson Jr. into releasing these songs. Those days in country are pretty much over. I think Stephen Wilson Jr. was baptized in that system trying to land cuts with Old Dominion, and that corporate country approach to writing songs comes through in the majority of the tracks on this record. There are some exceptions though, and I singled them out and praised them in the review.
3) I’m not saying there isn’t a moment or two where some finger picking fills what is naturally an instrumental break. But the music on the album is not why you listen. It is purposely dirty and muted to give the impression of edgyness. It’s obviously been effective at finding fans. But instrumentation is not a selling point of Stephen Wilson Jr.
4) Sorry, in my opinion “billy” is a terrible song. But we can agree to disagree. 🙂
Lake Erie Brown
December 30, 2023 @ 8:48 am
I have no dog in this fight, but southern Indiana is plenty hilly.
Harris
December 29, 2023 @ 10:37 am
Really enjoyed this review very informative. Though it’s funny how you seem to wading into an established controversy about this guy but this is the first time I’ve heard of him. Will check out some of the songs you listed as good. Thanks!
GodILoveZachBryan
December 29, 2023 @ 11:06 am
Good morning, Trigger.
Appreciate you reviewing this record. There are some opinions here that are valid, and there are some that I can’t really agree with. I truly think the majority of the issues with this record could be solved by a better editing process; it *is* a double record, but it didn’t need to be one, and there are simply songs that needed to be left off. Also, to piggyback on what Jason said above, the live experience is a much different ballgame than what the production of this record suggests, and I really can’t see from any objective outlook how the instrumentation is “terrible” on this record. It’s just a weird opinion. With all that of known, I do agree that it would be nice to see Stephen get away from the “Nashvilley” sonic aspects that some of the songs and melodies carry, as I can’t do anything but agree with you on that as the songs that carry this “flair” are the worst on the record. Lastly, it was cool to see BJ Barham note this record as his “Record of the Year”, and many other noted and respected performers, so I would hardly call the praise for this record hyperbolic, as I think you would agree these are valid and trusted sources of information. I loved this record and can’t wait to see what the sophomore full-length effort looks like.
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 12:15 pm
I saw Stephen Wilson Jr. perform this summer at FairWell Fest in Redmond, Oregon. Out of the 40 or so acts that performed on the weekend, far and away Stephen Wilson Jr. featured the least impressive instrumentation. Everyone performed with a band, including the songwriters—except for Stephen Wilson Jr. He performed with just one accompanist. Even just judging him against the other people on that particular stage, the instrumentation was subpar. Caitlin Rose came all the way from Nashville, and carried a full band. Wyatt Flores had an incredible band behind him. Stephen Wilson Jr. strummed minor chords, mashed the overdrive pedal during the chorus, and just made a bunch of dark noise with no ear for composition. It was experiencing Stephen Wilson Jr. live that verified my opinions about his poor instrumental performance.
All that said, I understand how the gloomy and moody style of the music can find appeal. But instrumentation is not an asset to this music, in my opinion.
GodILoveZachBryan
December 29, 2023 @ 3:21 pm
Hi Trigger,
Thanks for the response. I’m not going to flat-out disagree here, as honestly, what we’re discussing is relative, and I respect your opinion, but I feel like you’re reviewing two different things here. With that said, I feel like if you saw Stephen in a “fest” atmosphere (especially outside, and with one other musician as accompaniment), this isn’t really a fair look at what Stephen, or, Stephen with a band can do. I’m sure you’ve already introduced yourself, but there’s footage on Youtube with him and a full band, and I guess I would like to hear your opinion on that. Furthermore, you compared him to artists that had full bands behind them, which would obviously suit a festival environment and isn’t really a fair look or a proper comparison. I’ve been to tons and tons of festival shows (and I know you have too), and I’m of the opinion that these aren’t kind to one-man bands, or two-man bands, for that matter. Not to mention, this is sometimes completely out of the performer’s hands for myriad reasons. Of course, this is my opinion, but getting people to shut up and listen, or having a sound system to give these one-man live scenario artists the attention they deserve in a festival context is impossible. This isn’t an excuse, but just something worth mentioning. To snowball on that, your comments on his live situation have nothing to do with the instrumentation on the record being “terrible”, which I still can’t seem to understand how you came to that conclusion. Thanks again for the conversation.
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 5:16 pm
” I feel like you’re reviewing two different things here.”
Because when you review Stephen Wilson Jr., you’re reviewing two different artists. One artist is a pop country/Bro-Country songwriter co-writing Bro-Country songs with Bro-Country co-writers produced by a pop country producer. Then you have stuff like “Father’s Son” and “Henry,” and it’s like you’re hearing an entirely different artist. Stephen Wilson Jr. should have let his EP stand, and put out an album of actual songs solo written by himself after he got off the mainstream formulaic sauce. Instead, this album comes across as a frenetic, disjointed experience from both sides of the country music cultural divide.
As far as the festival environment I saw him in, I can’t control that. I’m just conveying my experience. I’ve written 20+ dedicated articles on one man bands over the years like Scott H. Biram, Possessed by Paul James, Bloodshot Bill, etc. I completely understand that some artists and some environments are not conducive to others. All I’m saying is that I saw him live, and it didn’t sell me on Stephen Wilson Jr., it strengthened the concerns about the lack of instrumentation.
I haven’t seen many full band videos of him on YouTube, but I am not reviewing YouTube videos here, any more than I am reviewing his set at FairWell Fest. I simply mentioned it because multiple folks said, “you’ve got to see him live” and I’m explaining that I did. What I reviewed was this album.
abe
December 29, 2023 @ 11:13 am
I have not listened to this nor do I plan to, so I don’t take issue with any criticism on writing and musicianship. Just want to add a counterpoint on the Seymour, IN-Appalachia issue Trig wrote. Being from Southern IN, I can say a lot of these small IN towns (and I’m sure, across the country too) face the same issues Appalachia does: over-reliance on a single industry, poverty, drug addiction (in fact, southern IN was one of the hardest hit areas during the meth explosion during the late 90s and early 00s), poor access to medical care, and poor access to quality food. If Wilson’s songwriting improves, there’s ample material there that could take him in a Childers-type direction. Whether that happens remains to be seen.
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 12:06 pm
Most certainly many of the issues being faced in small town USA are universal, including some of the ones Stephen Wilson Jr. talks about in his songs. But Seymour, Indiana does not have any hills or hollers. And so when I hear him sing “Holler from the Holler” in 1st person, it makes me feel like he’s just attempting to exploit the Tyler Childers thing. It makes me especially troubled when Stephen Wilson Jr. is touted for his “authenticity.”
Anyone can sing about anything. But if we’re going to draw and quarter Oliver Anthony from being from the Piedmont, I think the geography of Stephen Wilson Jr. also deserves some context.
Becky B.
December 30, 2023 @ 6:58 am
From what I understand, “Holler from the Holler” was based on Wilson’s experiences visiting his mother in Smyrna, Tennessee. I don’t think it’s fair to call the song inauthentic. https://www.billboard.com/music/country/stephen-wilson-jr-holler-from-the-holler-makin-tracks-1235075179/
Di Harris
December 30, 2023 @ 11:05 am
Correct, Becky,
Enjoyed this article when it first came out.
“Stephen Wilson Jr.’s ‘Holler’ Extends Country’s Violent Thread at a Turbulent Time
“That song for me ended up becoming very cathartic, and very much a healing modality,” Wilson Jr. says.”
Thank you for getting the backstory correct.
And not rushing to pen an article that contains a lot of misinformation.
Trigger
December 30, 2023 @ 12:40 pm
Hey Becky,
Thanks for the additional information. That helps give some greater insight here.
Just to clarify, there seems to be a lot of splitting hairs here on the “authenticity” question, in part because authenticity is in the eye of the beholder. My biggest concern with some of these songs is that they’re just not great songs. Then my concern is that some are consuming them in the same vein they’re consuming songs from Tyler Childers, Charles Wesley Godwin, Sierra Ferrell, etc. as authentic Appalachian performers because they’re patterned similarly.
All I’m trying to do here is give everyone a greater context for how Stephen Wilson Jr.’s music came about. When I hear “Holler from the Holler,” I hear a pop country/Bro-Country song disguised as something else. Then when I look at the liner notes and see it was co-written by the godfather of Bro-Country, Craig Wiseman, it all makes sense to me.
If people enjoy “Holler from the Holler,” that’s all that matters. I’m not here to take away the joy of music from anyone. But when I see people praising the authenticity of a song co-written by the same guy who published the Florida Georgia Line catalog and started Big Loud Record with Joey Moi, I feel the need to point this out, especially when to my ears, I’m hearing a Bro-Country song.
Darren
December 30, 2023 @ 3:31 pm
Smyrna, Tennessee, might as well be in Nashville. No hollers there. I think it is right on or close to the Davidson/Rutherford county line.
Aaron
January 2, 2024 @ 8:32 am
Also from Southern Indiana and I do all of my hunting with some buddies just west of Seymour, so I’m in Seymour all the time. It is the 2nd biggest exit between the Louisville suburbs along the river and Indy on I-65. Lots of chain restaurants, multiple grocery stores, etc. It’s not like he’s from Medora, which you could stick in the middle of Appalachia and it’d fit right in.
Like Trig said, there are no hollers and hills in Seymour or the surrounded area. It is rolling, flat farmland.
Strait
December 29, 2023 @ 8:06 pm
I spent my first 27 years in Indiana and I can attest that it is the crazy flucuations and demands of factories including that of the modular home and RV industries that push people towards meth. And people are quickly laid off during slow times.
I don’t buy the lack of access to quality food argument though because it’s not hard to cook simple healthy foods in a crock pot, it’s that people CHOOSE not to eat healthy. It’s ridiculed in rural Indiana. When I go home for holidays, everyone else but me is overweight. People need to take responsiblity for what they shove into their face hole.
wayne
December 30, 2023 @ 8:31 am
Strait,
I am from southern Indiana, 30 miles form Seymour. I agree with your assessment. However, the hub for RV industry in more north, mainly in Richmond.
Strait
January 1, 2024 @ 12:18 am
I suppose that is more accurate. I am from the north part and RV and modular homes comprise a huge chunk of the industry in the top part where I am familiar. I’m always surprised by how “rough” people look in the gas stations in southern indiana off the interstate.
Tony Ives
December 29, 2023 @ 11:22 am
I write for UK’s Country Music People and hear lots of new music. This is an exceptional release and was my album of the year. Music is an opinion. It’s not a complicated matter. I feel you’re very wrong in such an assessment
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 5:20 pm
I said everything I needed to say about Stephen Wilson Jr. when I reviewed his “bon aqua” EP earlier this year. The reason I chose to review this LP was very specifically because of so many outlets rating it at the top or near the top of end-of-year lists. I respect everyone’s opinion. But saying an album with multiple derivative list-like Bro-Country tracks is the best of the year either speaks to a sad state for country music, or a decidedly obfuscated view of the totality of great releases in country music in 2023.
Tony Ives
December 30, 2023 @ 12:49 am
You’re right and I’m wrong? What an awful reply. The guy was a Nashville writer for a lot of Bro-country artists before this release. From here he’s unlikely to detach himself from some of the components but this is hardly a Luke Bryan album! The album contains some sentimental chart country as well as harder edged americana. The vibrancy, rock sounds, production values and, often, terrific lyrics makes it stand apart from the crowd. Chill out, it’s not a personal attack to disagree with you…
Trigger
December 30, 2023 @ 8:16 am
Huh?
When did I say I’m right and you’re wrong? I said, “I respect everyone’s opinion.” When did I say this is like a “Luke Bryan album?” I said this review “will include some of the most dissenting viewpoints from prevailing sentiments, and opinions that are most likely to be misunderstood.”
You, good sir, have hit the buzzer. This is a positive review. I think this album has some really good songs. It also has some derivative Bro-Country garbage, which in my opinion, recuses it from being considered the best of a given year. That is my opinion. Again, I respect yours.
Steve Reynolds
December 31, 2023 @ 9:08 pm
“Music is an opinion.” Now that’s a flat-out cop out. You must not be a songwriter or player. Do you think that Milli Vanilli is a better act than Pink Floyd or Genesis or Yes because that might be someone’s opinion?
Di Harris
December 29, 2023 @ 11:56 am
Trigger had to place this article here, and make Stephen Wilson, Jr., a scapegoat –
Due to Trigger picking Jason Isbell’s lackadaisical King of Oklahoma as SCM’s 2023 Song of The Year.
You’re going on about S.W.Jr’s, style, using old worn out subject matter?
Bravo! Idiot.
Isbell’s poor, poor, me, am an addict, etc., ad nauseum, is as overdone as it gets.
From the, Whiny-Assed Loser Country, genre.
Might want to sit back and examine your wording more carefully when ascribing the word “veneer” to someone.
To the commenter who stated “poor access to medical care, and poor access to quality food.”, pertaining to Southern Indiana, you are incorrect in the absolute.
I will agree that the cadence on the Wilson-Whitters song, sucks.
Just more Trashville, recycled vomit.
Mike W.
December 29, 2023 @ 4:19 pm
On a website that has its fair share of nutty takes, you are really trying hard to break into that upper echelon.
I can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store for hot takes from Di Harris!
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 5:22 pm
Di,
If you believe that I live to lambast Morgan Wallen and praise Jason Isbell, and every single thing that I do is tied to this enterprise somehow, then what the fuck are you still doing here? The internet is vast, and there are plenty of other things you could engage with.
With the greatest amount of seriousness that is humanely possible, I think you should seek help. But I am not going to allow you to continue to disrupt my comment sections.
Neil Young’s Potatoes
December 30, 2023 @ 5:19 am
Second
RJ
December 31, 2023 @ 6:37 am
It is no place to call someone else an idiot. I take a stand on that one. That is a horrible thing to say because it devalues a person to the core. This Di lady only harms this wonderful comment section repeatedly.
Coat
December 29, 2023 @ 12:00 pm
If “mainstream, major label, Music Row commercial country” sounded more like Stephen Wilson Jr. I might actually listen to it. It doesn’t, so I don’t. I’ll take it. I personally enjoy “Billy”, but I also listened to a bunch of indie rock in my twenties and early thirties. Wolf Parade’s “Apologies to the Queen Mary” is still a favorite of mine. Thanks for the review.
PNWZ
December 29, 2023 @ 12:34 pm
Thanks for the review Trig. I heard the buzz and excitement about this album and was eagerly gave it a spin when it was released…and I couldn’t figure out what I was missing. Sounded like more overproduced, mainstream stuff to me. Glad to hear I’m not the only one.
Venturacountryfan
December 29, 2023 @ 1:00 pm
“All the Wars from Now On” is a powerful song, and it cuts through even the kind of less country instrumentation I don’t prefer. That said I like peace songs.
Charlie
December 29, 2023 @ 1:42 pm
I work in Seymour, live west of there. The nearest hill is Crane Hill 4 miles west of town, and likely named for the Sandhill Cranes that flock there every winter, rather than for the family of other native son Larry Crane. It’s not much of a hill either. The only holler would be a Holler and Swoller at one of the local bars.
Seymour is more on the boom side of the boom or bust scenario I would say, thanks to an big influx of Latino residents, primarily Mexican and Honduran. If you’re looking for meth heads you’d stand a better chance in neighboring North Vernon or Scottsburg.
That all being said this is the first I’ve heard of this guy. So maybe he identifies with his home town but I’m guessing most residents would have a hard time identifying him.
(There was a Rick Wilson that made a play for a music career here a few years ago. I’d normally check Wikipedia to see if they were related, but . . .)
I might check this guy out but I typically don’t jive with people of just ok talent who try to manufacture a music career. Good on them if they can though. It worked for Garth and TSwift.
If you’re looking for Hoosier hills and hollers stop by and see me, or head up Di’s way. I’m looking out my back window from this hilltop looking over the holler here in the Medora knobs. And the hills around Nashville, IN are some of the most scenic around. While SoIn of course has its problems, just like anywhere, I imagine it is nowhere near what Eastern KY deals with.
jt
December 29, 2023 @ 2:30 pm
Appreciate this review, I had to read it mostly due to its length, which was surprising. I started the first linked song playing and settled in to read. It didn’t take long before I realized that song was too terrible to listen to. The second song is much more palatable to my ears. However, trigger, it got me questioning how you decide which songs to embed. I know you’re limited by what’s on YouTube, and when the music is country adjacent you generally choose the most country-ish songs. If you’ve got the time, I would love to hear some of the criteria you use in making the decision. As always, appreciate what you do.
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 2:47 pm
There is no specific formula for the songs I choose to embed, though I usually like to include songs that I think are most representative of the work at large, and what I know will resonate with people. I also tend to include songs that I reference in the review. In this case, I included “American Gothic” because it is indicative of the list style of songwriting I spoke about in the review. I also included “All The Wars From Now On” because I thought it was the best song on the album.
Desert Dog
December 29, 2023 @ 2:31 pm
Definitely agree with the review and your assessment of the music.
I just wish you’d apply the same standards to Isbell. “King of Oklahoma” is a competent song.. but Isbell has never worked in the oil industry, to my knowledge, in OK or anywhere else. More than that, he frequently displays contempt for the views of many such workers and other tradespeople. Is this not also a lack of authenticity?
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 2:51 pm
The difference here really comes down to the approach of the songwriting. Nobody is mistaking Jason Isbell for an oil worker from Oklahoma. So he used the evocation of character and storytelling to tell a compelling narrative that the audience can envision in their mind’s eye. With Stephen Wilson Jr., many folks are listening to songs like “bill” and “Holler from the Holler” believing they are hearing it sung from someone from Appalachia in the 1st person. The songs rely on authenticity since the lyrics are little more than lists incapable of stoking the imagination similar to Isbell’s work.
Van Zandt
December 30, 2023 @ 2:59 pm
But then who decides which artists are allowed to write from an objective, fictional or observational stand point and which artists are obliged to write only through pure “authenticity”? “Holler from the holler” is far from being my favourite track on this album and most times I actually skip it, but I wouldn’t say the listener is forced into believing the track is “authentic” (as in describing strictly personal experiences) by any means. Also, on could probably write a thousand page essay on authenticity in art and never come to a conclusion, so is this really a debate?
Trainwreck
December 29, 2023 @ 7:26 pm
As someone who has worked in the oil field in Oklahoma, as well as Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi, Isbell’s song rings true to me. And I believe he can vehemently disagree with the political opinions of the average roughneck, but still have empathy for them.
Glenn Marx
December 29, 2023 @ 2:38 pm
All I can tell you is that I listen to this album all the time. The more I listen, the more I enjoy it and respect it. I’ve seen Stephen Wilson Jr. live and it was an forgettable experience. I believe he has a distinctive voice, a raw talent, and his music is both personal and powerful.
Kevin Smith
December 29, 2023 @ 4:35 pm
Wow. You are on a bender in this review and the punches fly. Look, we will argue authenticity till the cows come home and probably only agree on a handful of fully legit artists. And that’s OK. Some of my favorites of all time lack rural authenticity, but the output was great. And consequently, many authentic country boys had a very cosmopolitan sound. Glen Campbell anyone? So, that argument on Stephen Wilson doesn’t wash with me…at all. Now, is he pure country? Nope, instrumentation is straight up grunge era rock with occasional acoustic picking from Wilson, done very well I might add. There is also some great steel work in there as well, but country pure it ain’t. But what grabs me hard and won’t let go is that voice. Man, that dude brings grit and power into his singing. Holler from a Holler is intense. Makes me wanna crank that beast up and drive the backroads in my v8 pickup. ( haha, very bro of me) But it’s true, the dudes voice screams hillbilly and I’m all aboard. As for the writing, even though Holler is listlike, it successfully paints a picture of a boy growing up in a backwoods broken home with an abusive father. It’s all there in the lyrics. Usually I agree that the list songs are terrible, but this one works, really well. I do agree that some of Stephen Wilson’s stuff is awful, and I get the criticism of some of it. But, he’s got several winners in the songs including Father’s Son that merit paying keen attention. Not saying he has it all together yet, but he’s got some fire and spirit to him and I applaud the man.
As for the marketing, I’ve paid no attention to it to even know how he’s hyped. My ears tell me there’s good to be found here if you look for it. Country? Maybe not.
Glenn Marx
December 30, 2023 @ 8:58 pm
That should be unforgettable experience.
Derrick
December 29, 2023 @ 3:42 pm
I disagree that SWJ is somehow being inauthentic by referencing geographical backdrops different than the place he grew up. Nobody would claim that James McMurtry’s portrayal of Alberta in Canola Fields is inauthentic, or that Chris Stapleton can’t sing about California landscapes because he’s from Kentucky. If we move the goalposts to “songwriters can only authentically write about their lived experiences,” a huge majority of the greatest country songs, including your SOTY, King of Oklahoma, become inauthentic. Sure, Johnny Cash didn’t shoot a man in Reno just to watch him die. Folsom Prison Blues is still one of the greatest country songs of all time.
I also simply don’t see how Holler from the Holler is any kind of Tyler Childers copycat. Sonically and lyrically, it’s isn’t remotely similar and Tyler isn’t the only person allowed to sing about hilly places. It doesn’t feel like an attempt to play to trends or to the market either. If I were trying to appeal to the sonic sensibilities of neotrad country fans, I would emphasize stripped-down, authentic instrumentation. I wouldn’t make a grungy metal song with rural lyrics.
To be clear, I am thrilled to read your thoughts on SWJ and I truly appreciate critical analysis of an album that has been largely showered with praise. I concur fully that Billy is a terrible song, and that his performance was completely uninspiring at FairWell. I hope to catch him live somewhere that isn’t a megafestival someday.
Keep doing what you do.
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 5:47 pm
I never said, nor would ever say that artists can only sing songs about the geographic locations they’re from originally. Obviously that would be a ludicrous take. When it comes to Stephen Wilson Jr., you have to take in the totality of the situation to objectively asses the authenticity of the music.
It’s not just that two of his biggest songs imply that he’s from a location that he is not. It’s that they’re written in the Bro-Country list style. It’s that Stephen Wilson Jr. has worked and does work professionally in the commercial side of country writing songs. It’s also that these songs are co-written with other individuals deeply embedded in the corporate/radio country world.
“Holler From The Holler” was co-written with Craig Wiseman. Craig Wiseman and Joey Moi are considered the godfathers of Bro-Country. They were the two that helped Florida Georgia Line and later Morgan Wallen establish their careers. They also founded Big Loud Shirt, which ultimately became Big Loud Records.
For YEARS I’ve been hearing from folks claiming that Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Cody Jinks, Oliver Anthony, and so on and so forth are just industry plants working in cahoots with major labels to swindle independent country fans out of their dollars by offering an alternative still tied to the mainstream, and people screamed at me for not exposing this.
If you want to know the artist that was seeded to scrape off fans from the independent world and Appalachian authenticity to then co-opt them back into the system, it’s Stephen Wilson Jr. This is your guy. And it’s actually all right there screaming at everyone in the liner notes. They just don’t want to listen because in truth, they like these Bro-Country songs as long as they’re coated in a patina of “authenticity.”
Stephen Wilson Jr. has some good authentic songs. “son of dad” is not a bad album, and this is not a negative review. But my eyes are wide open to what is happening here, and it is my job as a critic to scrutinize and inform, and present this music in a bigger picture, especially since “son of dad” has found nearly universal consensus for being the best and most authentic release in 2023.
Di Harris
December 29, 2023 @ 4:44 pm
Tell me, if you don’t mind, sincerely asking the source that stated Stephen Wilson, Jr. is from Seymour.
If i’m not mistaken, i believe he is from South of Seymour. (Could be wrong.)
There are beautiful hills and hollers that start ~ 10 miles S. Central, Southeast, and Southwest, of Seymour.
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 8:09 pm
The source that Stephen Wilson Jr. is from Seymour is Stephen Wilson Jr.
Di Harris
December 29, 2023 @ 8:32 pm
Ok, thanks for the clarification.
Thought had read elsewhere, several months ago, that he was from a region South of Seymour.
Strait
December 29, 2023 @ 5:12 pm
“if something sounds like shit, it must be cool, authentic, and organic.”
*Zach_Bryan has entered the chat
Neil Young’s Potatoes
December 30, 2023 @ 6:06 am
This is the first thing I thought of when I read that line. Ol’ ZB went so far as to not even tune his guitar on some of his albums! It doesn’t get anymore authentic than that.
Strait
December 29, 2023 @ 5:31 pm
I haven’t listened to Stephen Wilson JR before but my first impression of ‘kid’ is that the melody is repetitive which exacerbates the complaint of the “list” lyrics. Early Brad Paisley records contained some list-type songs however the lyrics and melodies and instrumentation were top-notch.
Year to Be Young 1994 sounds like a Bruce Springsteen knock off. It’s not country. And Springsteen wrote some great country songs. (Tougher than the Rest)
I skimmed thru some of his other songs and he has the sound that resonates with you ‘youth’ but I don’t get it. I don’t know what happened to having good melodies. This is a trend. I’m not saying that there can’t be some “listening” songs and that every song has to have a very catchy hook, but so many melodies on modern songs just suck. To me so much new stuff sounds repetitive and droning, over-produced and boring. “Cover Me up” has a great melody. Pick Up Man and John Deere Greene have good melodies. If a song doesn’t have a good melody, it’s not going to be played by bar bands 20 years from now. That is why most country songs played in bars are older.
Trigger
December 29, 2023 @ 5:50 pm
For years I’ve been saying that the bane of modern mainstream country music has been the trading of rhythm for melody, and lists for stories. Many of the songs on this album fit that description perfectly.
Strait
December 29, 2023 @ 7:57 pm
Right, but is there a correlation between the shit that Luke Bryan put out vs the melancholy americanan hipster bullshit that recently seeped into the mainstream of country?
Rik
December 31, 2023 @ 11:05 am
Lol seriously??…What good is rhythm without melody my dude??…Critics, smh.
Julie
December 29, 2023 @ 5:41 pm
“But with some outlets proclaiming Stephen Wilson Jr.’s søn of dad as either the best album of 2023 or one of the best, it deserves dutiful attention and scrutiny.”
Those outlets deserve to be mocked (I’m looking at you Holler Country).
I liked the Eric Church rip offs, though.
Rik
December 31, 2023 @ 11:07 am
And Eric Church ripped off all sorts of older country music artists like John Prine and Hank Williams Jr…such is the nature of music…no one is an island into themselves.
JF
December 29, 2023 @ 8:12 pm
Trying to listen to this bloated monstrosity put me into a coma. Super sleepy. Think I nodded off around track 5 and I was listening to it mid-day, while at work. Will give it another try using this review as a listening guide. But breathtakingly underwhelming on first listen.
Grant
December 29, 2023 @ 11:14 pm
I agree with Trigger, but I really just want to pop in to mention that I can’t get over just how much this guys voice sounds like Travis Meadows.
Blackwater
December 29, 2023 @ 11:18 pm
Trigger’s major complaints are valid, and the majority of the negativity are from the songs from his EP he (or the label) decided to include on the album. I think it was a poor choice to include the entire EP with the album, if nothing else because there is such thing as too many songs.
The devil and The Beginning are the only songs that should’ve been included on the album. The other songs, while reasonably good at times, show a distinct amateurish lyricism and makes the entire album flow poorly.
What I find good about SWJ, is the distinctive sound he brings. It’s a shame if he doesn’t bring the full instrumentation on tour. I also think the songs are well written and show very much growth as an artist since his EP. I suppose it’s disappointing he’s got the backing and development from big music management. But, I will give it my album of the year because it is such a unique and enjoyable listen. I listen to a TON of country and most of it just blends together and are copies of even shittier copies of shitty country bands.
Ramsey
December 30, 2023 @ 5:56 am
Stephen opened for Charley Crockett at the clyde theater in Fort Wayne this summer. I was not a fan. That 1994 song is a sad attempt at nostalgia. No part of his performance moved me. Then of course Charley burned down the stage. Happy Hunting!
Scott S.
December 30, 2023 @ 6:39 am
I think this review is pretty spot on. I like the Eric Church comparison. Not that he sounds like Church, but that they are both mainstream artists who through promotion and a sound just different enough they have garnered acclaim. To the average fan listening to mainstream country music, Wilson Jr. comes off as some authentic outlaw.
To me, to make another Church comparison, I think they both have some good songs, but over all are more hype and promotion than substance. I’d add him to the “At least it’s better than the rest of the stuff on mainstream radio” category.
Trigger
December 30, 2023 @ 8:28 am
The Eric Church comparison is pretty spot on. Eric Church is a bright spot in the mainstream. But when he released his album “The Outsiders” and tried to present himself as some Outlaw-esque rebel from the underground, I called foul. Eric Church is not an “outsider,” and similar to with Stephen Wilson Jr., people lined up to contort themselves in whatever position possible to defend him despite the obvious, and the critics raved.
Stephen Wilson Jr. is not a bad artist, and “son of dad” is not a bad album. But I think it’s pretty imperative that everybody knows the back story and who is involved in this project before preaching to folks how real and raw it is. He saw an emerging market, and wrote songs for it, just like any professional songwriter does.
Jay S
January 21, 2024 @ 9:00 am
I find it odd that you think it’s “imperative everybody know the back story” before describing it as “real and raw”. Was Springsteen’s Nebraska “real and raw”? Yes. Are lots of Springsteen’s songs real and raw even though they are only very occasionally autobiographical? I’ll let you answer for yourself. Since when does songwriting have to be purely autobiographical to be real and raw? Sometimes artists weave autobiography with storytelling. This is the reason behind the concept of artistic license. Odd that this is considered a disqualification to authenticity in your eyes. The guy wrote deeply personal songs about the loss of his father, being a step-father, rescuing his psyche from the terror of fundamentalism, wrestling with the existence of God in the face of the reality of evil, etc.
Real enough for me and I’m the biggest bro-country hater you’ll ever meet. I agree that the form of some of the songs mirrored bro-country but I found the lyrics to be several levels above the even the best bro-country tunes and he touched on deep themes that bro-country doesn’t get near. This was my favorite album of 2023.
Trigger
January 21, 2024 @ 9:15 am
A couple things:
First, I never said a song has to be autobiographical to be authentic. The current Saving Country Music Song of the year, Jason Isbell’s “King of Oklahoma” is not autobiographical. That doesn’t mean it’s not real or authentic. The issue here is Stephen Wilson Jr. was a scientist working for a major corporation before he decided to start writing songs for major pop country acts before moving on to emulate Tyler Childers and the Appalachian authenticity thing.
There are some excellent songs on this album, and I went out of my way to point them out through which on a whole is a positive album review with a positive score. This album also has some poison pill songs that should have been left on his EP as opposed to putting them here. It’s my job to review the album as a whole, and offer context.
Folks are fans of Stephen Wilson Jr. and that’s why they’re defending him, and I respect that. I’m not saying he a bad artist, and all his songs are bad. As I said at the start of this review, reviews for these kinds of albums are always going to stir confusion, because I have lots of negative to say about an otherwise positive listening experience. Folks are going to focus on the negative and gloss over the positive. I gave my honest opinions and felt I was fair.
Jay S
January 21, 2024 @ 9:39 am
If you didn’t say a song has to be autobiographical to be authentic you certainly strongly implied it in the review.
I think there is depth hiding beneath of a few of these songs’ bro-country veneer. 1994 is not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake like a bro-country tune. It’s rooted in the existential angst of a teenage boy which is foreshadowed by the “All Apologies” Nirvana riff he opens the song with. “Hiding in my headphones, laying on the bedroom floor” is not the stuff of bro-country nostalgia tunes. No teenage girls will have his poster on their wall and no half-drunk, cowboy hat wearing middle aged women will be raising their hands and woo-hooing at him shaking his ass while he plays this song. I was at his concert in Nashville Friday night and can confirm this first hand -although I think everyone here already knew that.
The constant lumping in with bro-country is unfair although I understand why the form of a few songs can make it seem fair. It belies their substance.
Bro country is a reality. He couldn’t beat it. He certainly wasn’t going to join it. So on the few occasions where he borrows from the form he takes up a noble enterprise – he elevates it. God knows its past time somebody tried.
Trigger
January 21, 2024 @ 12:13 pm
I respect your opinion Jay. Thanks for sharing.
Rich
December 30, 2023 @ 9:26 am
I think this is a very fair and accurate review. And I like the guy. Totally agree there are too many other outlets pushing this album to the top 5 or 10 releases of the year when it’s not deserved. But…. His voice and the “noise” he can crank out of an old beat up acoustic guitar scratches my rock itch. Eric Church’s Mr. Misunderstood album (by far his best imo and not especially country) and Elizabeth Cook’s Exodus of Venus (definitely not country) gatewayed me to independent country so it probably makes sense I dig SWJ. “Cuckoo” is just damn fun when he plays it live.
Ben
December 30, 2023 @ 10:34 am
What a joke of a review. That’s the best album in country music in a decade. Go ride Zach Bryan’s indie trash where he acts like its 1950, Authenticity will always win… he saved country music with son of dad. Your site is a joke
Trigger
December 30, 2023 @ 10:40 am
“Authenticity will always win…”
Yup. Perfectly explains why this review needed to be written.
Ben
December 30, 2023 @ 11:58 am
I guess authenticity to you is the boohoo victim sad boy country that is said to be “authentic” and saving country music. Zach Bryan sings about nothing but being a toxic lover and victim. You talk about Son of Dad being inauthentic. What about ZB acting like its 1950 and he writes letters to all his “loves”. Meanwhile, never seen someone more active then him on twitter but hes just a 28 yr old “kid”. And I know you love Isbells poor me addict garbage. The sad boy indie country will fall out of favor soon. I respect ur opinion but this take was malpractice
Trigger
December 31, 2023 @ 11:13 am
Stephen Wilson Jr.’s album received a 6.8 grade.
Zach Bryan’s last album received a 7.0.
That is 0.2 points difference between the two.
As I said at the beginning for the review, it’s reviews like this that are commonly misunderstood because of the amount of criticism shared. But overall I would put the Stephen Wilson Jr. album and the Zach Bryan album about on equal footing. They both are good albums overall, but also have some serious flaws that deserve to be addressed.
“The sad boy indie country will fall out of favor soon.”
Stephen Wilson Jr. fits right into that trend with Zach Bryan and Jason Isbell.
Ron
December 30, 2023 @ 12:32 pm
But what is the point of only accepting reviews that validate your point of view. I never understood that mindset whether from the Taylor Swift fanbots or anyone else. Music is very subjective and it doesn’t hit everyone the same.
As for “saving country music with this album”, isn’t that a bit extreme? I wouldn’t say that about any single album.
Jeff
December 30, 2023 @ 1:32 pm
1) Trigger- you introduced me to this guy so thank you. 2) Thought your review of the EP was spot on.
3) This listener cares little about the argument on authenticity – only whether or not the music resonates.
4) Absolutely loved this album. Even though I agree that the majority of the tunes on the EP were not great, I found the strength of the remaining songs on the SOD album more than made up for their weakness.
5) Thank you for another enlightening year of reviews and updates- your site remains one of my first reads every day (even though you missed the boat on this last one – you are allowed one goof a year).
Happy New Year
Braccy
December 30, 2023 @ 1:35 pm
This is not so much an album review as it is an opinion piece on the state of the industry. More disturbingly, it’s laced with all sorts of purity tests. Did SWJ suffer enough as a child to earn him the right to write these songs? Was he poor enough? Was his back yard hilly enough? Did he collaborate with the right artists and songwriters? And were those collaborators inexperienced enough to prevent the result of their collaboration from being infected by some insidious rot at the core of the country music industry? Before he decided to pursue a career in music, were his choices of college degree and career path gritty enough? Oh, and how much revenue did the company he worked for earn?
What are any of these questions (whether subtly or overtly raised) doing in an album review?
While you (Trig) clearly know a great deal about the music business, you make an awful lot of assumptions about SWJ’s creative process and life experiences, neither of which should even remotely factor into an honest, good-faith review of a musician‘s work.
You don’t like the songs? Fine. You are filled with loathing for the industry? Fine…but perhaps that screed belongs in its own column, not masquerading as an album review. You only respect artists who can pass your purity test? Okay…but maybe own that and be a bit more honest about whatever agenda you have. You can’t claim to be an honest music critic who approaches every new work with an open mind and good faith if the musician is to be prejudged according to some purity rubric. Talk about having your cake and eating it too…
Trigger
December 30, 2023 @ 5:11 pm
Certainly didn’t say or imply that Stephen Wilson Jr. did not suffer enough as a kid to sing these songs. I talked about his upbringing with a single father, and praised when his songs seemed more authentic to his experience and told stores as opposed to simply buzzy lists. I also didn’t say I don’t like his songs. There are some great songs on this album. There are also some bad ones. I did my best to call balls and strikes fairly.
The commentary about the industry was simply explaining how we got here, and why he shouldn’t be considered a product of the underground.
As I said at the very beginning of this review, I don’t like reviewing these kinds of albums where there is so much to say. People will read what they want, and throw away the rest, on both sides. Stephen Wilson Jr.’s music deserved an in-depth and nuanced discussion, and that’s what it got. I respect anyone who disagrees. I also wish for respect for seeing the importance of this discussion and broaching it in-depth.
Braccy
December 30, 2023 @ 5:47 pm
Whether or not you intended to, you did come across quite a bit like the guy at the office who waits to see the big new movie everyone is talking about. That guy is tired of hearing everyone go on and on about how great it is, so when they finally get around to seeing it, they have an inclination toward contrarianism. I get that. It’s natural to want to stand out and not feel or be deemed just another crowd follower with the same opinion as everyone else.
However I find your defense of the industry criticism to be highly disingenuous. The disdainful, judgmental dismissal of collaborative creativity and the process by which music is produced and distributed was not presented in good faith, simply to illustrate ‘how we got here’ (whatever that means). It was very clearly intended to disparage SWJ’s music (or at least several of the songs on this album) and creative process and to portray him and some of his songs as vacuous industry fabrications devoid of authenticity.
There was a jaded, judgmental, bad-faith tenor to the review, which is beneath your talent as a writer and ability as a reviewer. You are capable of better, good-faith reviews that focus on the music, not everything about the industry that bothers you, and certainly not tired, closed-minded purity tests that perpetuate the idea that only musicians who fit the tropish mold of dirt road outlaw are qualified to make dirt road music.
Lil DLs get a grip
December 30, 2023 @ 10:52 pm
You’re the dude in the office who has to eat lunch alone because nobody else has the patience to stoke the flames of conversation for longer than a couple minutes
Van Zandt
December 30, 2023 @ 2:30 pm
I usually agree with pretty much everything you say and follow this site on the regular but I will add my voice to those who say ou are perhaps wrong on this one. What started as a curiosity listen hooked me in as no other recent album did to be honest. I immediately heard the “bro-country” Nashville sound, which is obvious on the record, but can we agree that this is the most original interpratation of the Nashville sound in recent memory? I felt like I was taken to a very well-known place, but then surprised at every turn with original melodies and the overall sound.
Obviously there are a few skips on such a long album, but I would definitely rate it as one of the year’s most memorable.
Anyhow, thank you for this website, discovered so many amazing artists here.
Cheers!
Trigger
December 30, 2023 @ 5:04 pm
” I immediately heard the “bro-country” Nashville sound, which is obvious on the record, but can we agree that this is the most original interpratation of the Nashville sound in recent memory?”
This is the thing right here, and this is why writing review like this is so difficult and perilous. This was not a negative review. This album got a 6.8, which means it’s 1.8 above a neutral review, and 1.2 point below most Saving Country Music review. Stephen Wilson Jr. has hit on something with this album, and clearly it’s resonating. But it’s my job as a critic to point out certain things about this album that I think a lot of people are missing or glossing over. But in an era when people think the point of media is to affirm their opinions instead of challenge them, it becomes controversial.
Stephen Wilson Jr. will be fine. He’s getting praise all over the place. All I’m doing is playing some devil’s advocacy here to help broaden the discussion about his music.
BD
December 30, 2023 @ 10:50 pm
You anticipated the review to be perilous. The reader comments, for the most part, were respectful & well stated. Likewise, your generous replies focused specifically to their alternate viewpoints (or sometimes, their interpretation of your words). These were a pleasure to read. Such an example of how differing viewpoints can be debated ‘respectfully’ is becoming more and more rare in society it seems. (The predictably ignorant rude posts from certain commentators has its place in reminding us of what the opposite of respect smells like.) 2024–the upcoming year where SCM will continue to lead the way in exemplifying how respect is earned, and how that respect can work in perilous situations. Cheers & Happy New Year y’all from Canada, (eh?)
RJ
December 31, 2023 @ 6:44 am
I would love to make one counterpoint. I personally don’t listen to any list songs or anything that smells of inauthentic. Whitehouse Road was actually my least favorite. That said, if this is a direction Nashville wants to go to, I am cool with it. Trig, you personally often go down the road of the best of the worst in corporate country and I think this dude wins the award.
If he reads this, please please don’t take that as me saying you are part of the worst at all. There is tons of talent here and I hope he makes some great dough and then can pay bills and work on more of the tunes that I imagine he likes to write the most!
Barstool Hero
January 2, 2024 @ 6:40 am
I’ve listened to this album several time through, and I could skip about half the songs. The other half are great. His voice and writing reminds me of Travis Meadows, an awesome singer/songwriter who has several albums out, as well as several cuts by mainstream artists.
Megan
January 2, 2024 @ 8:11 pm
What an interesting album! If half of this were cut out, it would be not just a good album, but a great one. The instrumentation is definitely not a selling point, as you point out, but at the same time, I don’t entirely agree that the purpose was to make it sound like shit for the sake of it sounding like shit. The mood created goes with the grit in his voice. I don’t think his voice would sound half as interesting if the sound were more polished. The great songs are fantastic, but then there are horribly trite, listastic pieces of garbage all over the record. Also 100% agree that “Billy” is a terrible song. That said, I don’t care about the authenticity bit, although I very much see why you are bringing all of that up. If this were cut out, down to 11 or 12 songs, I don’t think we’d mind “Holler from the Holler” or “American Gothic,” as more lighthearted moments on an otherwise dark, moody album. The ultimate problem here is that we have two albums: one made for artistry and the other made for business. It’s a strange dichotomy. All of that to say, almost every problem here could be fixed if the album were cut by half.
Ben
January 2, 2024 @ 10:10 pm
The biggest problem is his affected vocals, which is something that is an instant turnoff. I’m all about authentic rural accents, or using accents as a put on or storytelling device, but if the writing and instrumentation is there, I should be able to sing in my plain middle American voice and still clearly be country music. The vocal affectation turns me off a bunch of indie artists too, I wish someone would tell them they would still be country if they sang in their natural voices. That being said, the samples here aren’t grabbing me and making me want to explore further.
StopPopCountry
January 4, 2024 @ 1:37 pm
Agree mostly. I like him for what he is but there is more to unlock.
We saw him open for Hailey Whitters and oh boy was she bad. Loved her early stuff and was distilled to “I’m a blonde who likes to drink beer”.
Stork
January 5, 2024 @ 10:46 am
Trig, I was wondering if you’d cover this one. Reading this review was like pulling the thoughts right out of my own head. Out of all your pieces I’ve read over the years, I’ve never felt like you captured my exact feelings on a release as well as this one.
I have a buddy that works on the artist relations side of one of the larger Nashville artist management organizations who recommended this to me and said it was right up my alley. In fact I had several people ask me what I thought of this one, to the point that I sat down and wrote my own commentary because there was just so much to say about what this album 1) wants/tries to be 2) can at moments be and 3) actually is.
Every time there was a moment of interest or promise, it turned around and revealed its true colors to me time and time again. Your score is perfect for a lukewarm record that tried too hard to insert one formula into the mold of another formula to the point where it was hard to find the redeemable bits amongst the okayed out cliche of it all.
This album more so than any of the other bandwagon independent country carpetbagger records reminds me that we’ve reached the point of total over saturation in the space.
That being said, I’m glad to live in a time when guys like us have so much wonderful material to choose from and guys like them want to be guys like us.
Stork
January 5, 2024 @ 1:09 pm
I have thought about the last sentence since I wrote it, I wanted to clarify that I was not saying that SWJ at all is “one of them”, he’s undeniably talented as a writer and performer. I even think he’s one of the good ones, but I think there were probably too many voices contributing to the creative direction of the project, a common occurrence that hinders popular releases.
The first question I asked my buddy when I streamed this was where can I find the credits? I wanted to see who produced, engineered, and cowrote on it, expecting the usual suspects. At the time of release I was unable to find that info easily online.
As far as the “wanting to be guys like us” comment, I was referring to fans of flavor-of-the-week hits that pay out the ass for nosebleed zach Bryan tickets today but wouldn’t go see turnpike or colter wall with me in 2016 if I gave them the ticket. I’ve said it here before, but it’s a bit vindicating to see these kinds of people coming around to what you’ve known was great all along, even if they’re happily taking the offerings that these established hitmakers are simply repackaging and selling back to them as the cool new thing. Some people will accept it and share it as the best thing ever because they don’t think about these things too much, but some people will see through it once they’ve been exposed to the good stuff that’s out there. The win is in the converted ones.
Anyway, I do think SWJ is going to be huge, there were songs on this album which I loved that really hit hard for me and gave me glimpses into the core of his artistry and abilities, and I sincerely look forward to future releases, as long as he can reign in the outside voices without compromising the ambition of this one.
Ps I can’t wait for the unnecessary double album trend to disappear.
Jonpardisucks
January 19, 2024 @ 6:02 am
Great, a font rocker* in the guise of country music.
*Someone who uses all lower case randomly in their song titles and an odd font in their name and title
Rob
January 20, 2024 @ 2:38 pm
Trig….why do you sound so jealous and bitter?
Trigger
January 20, 2024 @ 7:56 pm
Probably because you’re a Stephen Wilson Jr. fan, and that’s okay. I’m not here trying to rob the joy of music from anyone. I’m just giving my opinions and insight.
I’d push back at the idea that jealousy or bitterness has anything to do with this. I’m not competing with Stephen Wilson Jr. in any way, or for anything. I wish him the best. My criticisms are shared constructively.
Rob
January 21, 2024 @ 7:43 am
I have just recently discovered him and I am very impressed, so I suppose that makes me a fan. I listen to a wide net of music, jazz, reggae, punk and so on….I feel confident in saying that this is one of the best debut albums i have ever heard.
i understand that you have a job to do, and music is incredibly subjective, but this review certainly has a vindictive undertone, whether intentional or not.
Thanks
Chad Triplett
January 28, 2024 @ 5:53 am
I have always agreed with your critique of artists and their songs up until now. I never even heard of SWJ till this past Nov when I accidentally heard “My Father’s Son”. The lyrics in that song alone are some of the best I’ve heard. Easily the song of the year for me. Your criticism of this album and SWJ come across as more personal than professional and I can’t seem to understand why. I agree some songs on this album are not so good but for me there are 6-7 that are pretty great and there are 5 songs that are beyond great. Maybe it’s because Rolling Stone said it’s one of the best albums of the year that helped drive your review toward a personal slap at SWJ rather than just a normal “you didn’t care for it” review. I never agree with Rolling Stone and 99% of the time I agree with you Trigger but damn it, it backwards this time. SWJ comes across as more of a Travis Meadows than he ever does as some bro country artist singing about tailgates, beer, and how country he is. This is the first time I have ever thought you have wrote a review that could not be further from the truth than this. I can see from your replies in all of these messages and posts that you will probably take this personally instead of genuinely constructive criticism from a disappointed fan of yours. You can’t write my post off as being a fan of SWJ cause I hadn’t heard of him till Nov 23…I am a fan of this album.
Trigger
January 28, 2024 @ 8:36 am
Hey Chad,
Thanks for the feedback. All I can do is reiterate what I said at the beginning of this review, which is that this was an album review I didn’t want to write because I knew it would be misunderstood, but also felt like i had to write. I agree that “My Father’s Son” is a good song and there are other good songs on this album. That is why it got an overall positive grade, and received a positive review. But it’s reviews like this where I also have a decent amount of criticism that get taken as negative reviews when they’re not.
As far as the Bro-Country comparison to the songs, it’s less about the lyrics themselves, and more about the structure of some of the songs as lists as opposed to stories. Stephen Wilson Jr. has written with mainstream Nashville songwriters and I hear that coming through in some of his writing. But again, this album was taken as more positive than negative. I wish he would have kept the EP songs on the EP, and then this review would have been quite different.
CHRIS ROBBINS
January 29, 2024 @ 4:28 pm
I’ve listened to this album a few times since I discovered it this past weekend. All I can say is that I’m instantly a fan. Stephen, and these songs come across as honest, true and genuinely heartfelt. I would say that he might be the new Kurt Cobain, but he so much more than that. He’s pieces and parts of every great artist I ever loved rolled into something new. Can’t wait to see him live Knoxville in April… I think its sold out!
Todd Williams
February 15, 2024 @ 9:31 am
“is that he is 100% a creature of mainstream, major label, Music Row commercial country, full stop.”
The Doors, Sex Pistols, Blondie, Talking Heads, Nirvana.
All punk or derivatives thereof. All on major labels or distributors.
“He can’t play” (paraphrased)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMf2nh27-KI
Trigger
February 15, 2024 @ 10:28 am
Completely different context. Being on a major label is one thing. Being a professional writer for years for pop country acts is an entirely other one. Jim Morrison and Johnny Rotten never did that.
Todd Williams
February 15, 2024 @ 12:14 pm
No. You wrote 100%. You wrote “full stop”.
You suggest that major label support automatically taints a “true artist”. Which is so narrow a point of view that it serves to throw punk’s grandparents under the bus.
Jim Morrison accepted “Light my Fire” as a needed compromise for his other lyrics. Johnny Rotten was selected by Malcolm McClaren who already chose the band name. It was a boy band with a Lou Perlman. Are these artists diminished for these realities? Of course not. Tectonic, important music.
Look. I get it in the main. Bro country sucks. But I think there’s something to celebrate when any mainstream label dabbles in arguable punk packaging.
If you want to harp on a guy who wrote to feed his family in a machine that required writing for other artists, go ahead.
I like the punk flavors attached to this artist.
That Nashville gives this voice a platform? Good
And I hope, like anyone here might, that Stephen Wilson Jr understands we will be watching with “dads” in mind.
Trigger
February 15, 2024 @ 2:24 pm
Whatever I said in the past (and not sure where you’re pulling from, lots going on right now), I am saying right here, right now that being on a major label does on “taint” an artist. In fact, I have written dedicated articles on this subject in the past, defending performers such as Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, etc. on major labels. Is it something you can consider when regarding an artist? Sure. But for me, that’s not the crux of my argument against Stephen Wilson Jr. In fact, I like Stephen Wilson Jr. I think he has some good songs. I just wish he would have left the Bro-Country writing of his past off this album that was already long enough, and focused on the songs that show a lot more growth in his career.
Christopher Payne
February 21, 2024 @ 5:47 pm
I’m from the UK and often catch a show on one of our mainstream radio stations that is dedicated to country, so I appreciate I often catch what will be at the upper end of the mainstream spectrum but something about his voice made me delve deeper into Stephen Wilson Jnr (hence being on this site)
Interesting to read your opinions on the album as a whole but as someone who lost their dad at a young age and had a relationship with him that in my own way mirrored the story of Father’s Son I felt compelled to almost defend him because for many the more mainstream version of a genre acts as a gateway and this country show in the UK has seen me gone from dismissing country to wanting to know more and listening to more
RC
March 26, 2024 @ 10:43 am
Why is there even ‘hairs being split’ about lyrics? I am 100% sure Glenn Campbell wasn’t a lineman for any county and Jonny Cash never killed a man in Reno :/
I could go on and on and on, but hopefully you get my drift.
BM
March 26, 2024 @ 11:33 pm
Stephen’s repeat phrasing doesn’t hold a candle to how many times you’ve repeated “Bro-Country” in this article and comments..lol
That said, i’ll agree you can feel some lack of authenticity here but hell if it isn’t catchy. I think it’s a nice mix of more personal moments and a few manufactured hits and I see nothing wrong with that if it gets him some eyes on the project. He desperately needs an “editor” though.
SWj Fan
April 19, 2024 @ 5:40 pm
You should have put your positive thoughts first. It would have taken me longer to figure out that you are just a jealous critic that probably couldn’t play a 3-chord song if I spotted you 2 chords. Maybe that’s a little harsh but so was your review.
I understand you are a critic and may not play music at all. However, you are a writer and the word is bookended not bookened. I’m sure I could find more mistakes if I tried.
That being said, I am over 50 and listened to, played and loved music my entire life. This is a great album with 3 or 4 less than stellar songs.
Music is supposed to be catchy and have great hooks if you want it to sell. This guy will be able to provide for his family and you will still be writing bad online reviews, Bro!