Metamodern Sounds In Country Music - Sturgill Simpson (2014)

Simpson is one of the best country artists working today.

This is only his second album and it already shows why he’s so great: throwback outlaw country with irreverent and slyly winking lyrics, killer pacing and sonics, and a bunch of the smartest good times music you’ll hear.

The title is a send-up of the Ray Charles classic.

I suppose it would be silly if I didn’t include the metamodernism tag here, even if it’s not quite what I’ve meant by it. I use the term to talk about the 21st century, digital native music of artists who have grown up always having all the world’s music at their fingertips. This one is played as pretty straight country, except that there aren’t a ton of country songs about seeking and sort of finding genuine enlightenment. The metamodern part, I reckon, is using the old forms

Tracks I Liked

Turtles All The Way Down - the open mind and its enemies.

Life Of Sin / Living The Dream - a one-two punch of scorching electric country

The Promise - The 80s When In Rome hit, converted perfectly to a country ballad

A Little Light - hard not to keep this on on repeat