Sturgill Simpson

Classic country.  If you have read my blog before now, you know that, in between lineup announcements for ACL, I have been listening to new music and collecting reviews in posts of four or five new albums.  However, when I heard Simpson's new album last year, I had to do a post all by itself for the pleasures I found in that disc.  It is an excellent homage to classic country while still sounding new.  I won't repeat myself or repost the song links, but if you are curious, "Turtles All the Way Down" is the most listened to track on Spotify at just over 2 million, and "The Promise" only clocks in a 5th place with 1.2 million.  "The Promise" is awesome.

Then, a few months ago, I went and saw Simpson play the Stubb's amphitheater with my friend Noah, and had a hell of a good time.  I saw a boatload of people I knew at the show, and from discussing the guy with others since then, it sounds like his name is now relatively well-known in my social sphere.

Before 2014's Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, Simpson had another album, 2013's High Top Mountain.  It is still good, but it just doesn't have the same electric fire that Metamodern uses to slice through old school typecasting.  It is still a rootsy, classic country album with a clear line tracing straight back to Waylon Jennings, but the sound sticks closer to tradition and does less to move the outlaw country sound forward.  His cover of Willie's "I'd Have to Be Crazy" is an aching gem.  No song from that album cracks the top ten most listened to for Simpson on Spotify, but the most listened to is "You Can Have the Crown," with 606k.

Live version, but you get the gist.  High energy rockin' country.  And funny lyrics - trying to write a song that will pay the bills, but can't so he needs to go rob a bank.  King turd!  Boss Hawg!  And he can't figure out "what the hell rhymes with Bronco."  Uh, Honcho?  Bravo?  Matthew Mcconaughey's Bongos?  Uchiko?  He should join up with Unknown Mortal Orchestra for another song about being buried underneath Uchiko in his Bronco!

For one more live version, here is Sturgill cranking it up with Dave Letterman, earlier this year, with his second most-listened-to song, "Life of Sin."

Strong stuff.  I like it alot.  Depending on the schedule, I'll likely go see him play again.  My only reluctance is getting caught up in a huge crowd (see Iggy Azalea, 2014, or Lumineers, 2013) at a small stage.  But I'd definitely dig watching him do his thing again.