Ever have one of those moments? Maybe you're at a dinner party, or a concert. Your wife introduces you to someone... or you have a great chat with a stranger then, hours later you smack yourself on the forehead and say something ignorant like "He was THAT Barack Obama!!!" Well, I sort of had one of those this past weekend. In the spirit of quantum album reviews I'll tell you how I came to be in the possession of this fine album; "Let's Just Stay Here" from Carolyn Mark and NQ Arbuckle.
It started with the Sumner Brothers. Twice we've tried to get them into the Long Beach Radio studio before shows in Tofino.... twice we've failed. This time we did manage to catch up after the show and they brought with them a confident woman with a guitar who's name, though familiar, didn't set off a lot of bells in my head. We chatted, did our radio thing, and afterword both The Sumner Brothers and Carolyn left me some CDs. One of the albums she handed me I knew well... I have even quoted some lyrics, specifically "It's hard to be a good man listening to the 'Drive By Truckers'". Luckily she won't know what an idiot I am because no-one reads these reviews.
So, here goes the review portion of our story. Bullshit basic stuff first... guess you'd call it "Alt Country". I write this on a stormy Friday evening, with a belly full of rum and that seems appropriate. I love the rawness and "cleanness" of NQ Arbuckle recordings in general, their "XOK" continues to be a favourite album of mine that will no doubt be reviewed eventually. With production and mixing credits going to NQ Arbuckle I'm happy to say everything is captured brilliantly and beautifully.
The mood is difficult to explain... In the car, where I do a lot of listening it's seems mellow, sort of gooey if that makes any sense, like it's trying to drag you down... The lyrics take you through emotional depths of long term relationships that seem doomed to the shallow satisfaction of drinking and farm-girl groupies. But, if you take the same album and listen to it as I am, a few drinks in, with a darkening sky, it's hopeful. Song like "The 2nd Time" become anthemic... convincing of the power of fate or human will. Musical mood stabilizer? I'm not sure that's exactly what I mean.
Maybe a better way to say it is that this album will take you where it wants too. It's not ready to be the album for every occasion. It has a plan for you and there aren't really any alternatives. Isn't what art is about... delivering you somewhere, despite your intentions?
NQ Arbuckle songs possess a magical quality that I can't easily explain. Most are twice as long as they "should" be. Not in a "progressive rock" way but in a "stadium rock" way. That is to say you can often sing along the first time you hear one of their songs... and you are compelled to! This album is no different. Every song has a comfortable, embracing quality. Familiar yet refreshing.
I feel, for the most part country music has forgotten what it's all about. With "Let's Just Stay Here" I fall more in love with the sad realities of life, the confusing experiences, the even more confusing responses and the bewildering consequences. The tragic hero of country music, the dangerous devotion, the loving alcoholism are all here. Love is not a paved road and this album, despite great recording, is still bumpy... and real.
I want to be able to say that his album is greater than the sum of it's parts but I'm not totally sure it is to me. NQ Arbuckle have set the bar pretty high in this "genre", even for themselves. I'm not totally sure this album breaks out to into a new domain... I am, however, totally sure it's worth a listen.
Thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment