Country. The word alone conjures thousands of stereotypes: big trucks and mud, shotguns and tractors, funny accents and banjos, the list goes on. Country music has gotten a fairly absurd image over the past few decades, sometimes fairly earned, sometimes not. To play country music in 2015 is to confront a hefty load of prejudices.
With these preconceived notions in mind, it’s bizarre that when country singer Sturgill Simpson played at the Majestic Wednesday night, I didn’t catch sight of any moonshine-slugging hillbillies. Sure, the crowd was a little more redneck than your usual college-town show, and his accent clearly identified Kentucky roots. But if you strip away the preconceived notions, baggage and hillbilly imagery, you are left with four talented musicians on a stage playing the shit out of their instruments and a crowd loving every minute of it.
Simpson recently released his second full-length album, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. As the title suggests, it delves into trippier territory than most country music, dropping references to LSD, weed and a cosmic turtle on the very first track. Simpson’s real appeal, however, is the sturdiness and authenticity of his music. He plays the kind of country that first defined the genre: guitar and vocals laid on top of boot-stomping rhythms, propelling songs about alcohol, women and the misfortunes resulting from both.
What surprised me the most about the show was how much plain fun it was. By halfway through the crowd was warmed up and well into the music; the propulsive rhythms kept us moving while Simpson’s vocals dueled with flashy slide guitar courtesy of Laur Joamets. Much like blues, country music often pairs melancholic lyrics with upbeat rhythms, the juxtaposition providing its own kind of catharsis. Songs like, “Long White Line,” which deals with a painful breakup by hitting the road, had the crowd stomping and hollering along to lines like, “I woke up my baby was gone / without her I don’t need no home.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYgArKYUYP0
It is in this contrast that country music found its relevancy half a century ago through artists like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. Touring today, and bringing the spirit of those musicians with him, Simpson makes a powerful argument for why country music still has a place today. The relatable aspects of the music are backed up by simple yet powerful rhythms and masterful playing, making for accessible music that nevertheless impresses.
It was this musical talent on display that made seeing Simpson live truly worth it. His recorded albums move with a stately swing and restrained grace that only hints at the intensity just beneath the surface. In contrast, relatively calm tracks like, “Life of Sin” become barn-burning rockers when performed live, fleshed out with fiery slide guitar and howled vocals. The songs extended to almost jam-band status with minutes-long solos that put the skills of Joamets and drummer Miles Miller on full display.
Country music long ago hit on a winning formula and, recent forays into bro-country and country-rap aside, its appeal has been found by sticking to that formula. I’m not going to argue that a refusal to adapt is always a good thing, but Simpson proves that real country can still work, especially given his skill matching uncommon lyrical themes to authentic music. He said in an interview with NPR that his goal was “to make a social consciousness concept album disguised as a country record.” He succeeds admirably, slipping in references to Buddha and psychedelic drugs while remaining true to the spirit of his influences.
