Sturgill Simpson is the new look Outlaw on the run…
Label: Atlantic Records
Release Date: 15th April 2016
There was a point in his career when Sturgill Simpson was holding the baton for all the Outlaws who went before him. People like Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard…
On those continual references to Jennings, Simpson says:
I think people really want somebody right now to sound like Waylon Jennings. They want somebody to walk out on stage with a big, giant flag that says, ‘Fuck You.’ Believe me, it is frustrating; because it makes me feel like I haven’t done a very good job of really getting my voice down. It’s like, ‘Am I not very original in my approach?’ But there’s a hell of a lot worse things you can be told than, ‘Hey man, you sound likeWaylon Jennings.’ I’ll take it a compliment, even when I’m burnt the fuck out hearing it.
Just a few years ago Haggard declared his love for Simpson and his brand of country, saying:
As far as I’m concerned, he (Simpson) is the only one out there. The rest of them, sound like a bunch of crap. You hear a lot of Waylon [Jennings], a lot of George [Jones], He’s got something going energy-wise that I haven’t seen in a long time.
In the same month as Merle Haggard began his journey home, Simpson launched his 3rd recording ‘A Sailor’s Guide to Earth’
Two years on from ‘Metamodern Sounds in Country Music’ Simpson has pushed on in a slightly different direction, employing the services of Sharon Jones backing band, the Dap-Kings and creating richer and deeper country-soul sound.
It is certainly less likely to find its way onto a hipster’s playlist and does a lot to help Simpson distance himself from those Waylon Jennings comparisons.
More uplifting than its predecessor, which in fairness, wouldn’t be hard, ‘A Sailor’s Guide to Earth’, reconfirms the leading role Simpson has within the country genre – a great responsibility which he is more than capable of dealing with.
The opening track, ‘Welcome to Earth’, starts off slowly and it’s only when his voice breaks through that you can associate the song at all with Simpson.
‘Breakers Roar’ incorporates strings, which complements the haunting slide guitar – a beautiful song.
The tempo increases with ‘Keep It Between The Lines’ where the introduction of the brass section creates a beautiful country soul session, as Simpson gives a lesson from father to son about staying at school, avoiding drugs and keeping it all between the ditches.
When he last played Belfast, Simpson promised he would come back in the summer with a full band and I really hope that he is true to his word.
This is as good a recording as I have heard this year – the sort of thing you ought to reserve for a late evening and a few glasses of whiskey and whatever else you might get up to.
Haggard and Jennings would definitely approve.