Old Crow Medicine Show sounds like a hardware store. The music smells of metal and the music crinkles as the clerk writes the cost of your nuts and bolts on the little brown paper bag.
A few years ago I predicted to a buddy that bluegrass music would be the next big thing. I had just seen a band called King Wilkie perform in Charlottesville, VA. My premise was simple. There is no music that sounds better while drinking than bluegrass music. The swinging doors of bluegrass can make anyone want to dive into the brown goods (or beer) and howl at the moon. There’s music that sounds great when you are drunk (hair metal for instance), but bluegrass is drinking music.
I deduced there were enough people who like drinking to make the bluegrass thing happen. I fully expected college kids to do their part. They were bound to love the authenticity of the musicianship required with bluegrass. I could see it all playing out. The Grand Ole Opry would be the new Red Rocks.
Needless to say it never happened.
But it’s funny that Old Crow Medicine Show was recommended to me when I asked a guy who does college tours what music the kids were listening to these days. He shot back Old Crow Medicine Show with sort of a “I know it sounds weird, but that’s what they’re into” disclaimer attached.
And it makes sense. If I were back in college sitting in the muddy backyard of our modular apartment preparing for a college football game I would love to have the Old Crow Medicine Show fading into the tailgate. It’s cool that way. Bluegrass sets a nice vibe; it sort of says you’re above the game of the popular stuff.
But that’s the problem with bluegrass; it’s too damn weird for the mainstream. Bluegrass is sort of like those old fashioned Union Suit underwear with the opening in the back. It’s cool as long as you don’t have to put it on everyday.
Today’s entry is more an endorsement of bluegrass then it is Old Crow Medicine Show specifically. If you don’t know the sound I encourage you to check it out, preferably when you’re on the verge of having a big night. If I were having a house party this fall, Old Crow Medicine Show would make the playlist.
Bluegrass is even better live. There’s just something awesome about seeing that many musicians playing all the instruments (from harmonica to slide guitar to upright bass to banjo to guitjo), and all taking turns coming to the front of the big old fashioned silver microphone at the front of the stage to play their part. The live bluegrass format reminds me of the Catholic mass of my youth, it’s like each guy is taking his turn making his prayer of the faithful. And the yahoo hee-yaw! result makes me want to echo right back like I did then, “Thanks be to God!”
The issue I have with Old Crow Medicine Show’s Big Iron World album in specific is it just sounds like an OK bluegrass record. In fact, it would have made a better EP. Of the few other acts I’ve listened to in the bluegrass genre, most of them have a catchier sound. Old Crow Medicine Show aren’t all that distinct, which I suppose is OK if we’re reducing bluegrass to atmosphere music -but I’m not ready to concede that it can’t be more just yet.
A great track on Big Iron World is the harmonica driven opener “Down Home Girl.” If Activision ever comes out with Harmonica Hero, I’m sure they’ll consult Ketch Secor for tips. His harmonica carries multiple songs on Big Iron World. Lead singer Willie Watson is best when he goes all Johnny Cash vibe with his voice. He does this to great effect on the storytelling number “Bobcat Tracks.” Not to mention Willie Watson is just a rock solid name for a bluegrass front man. When you name your kid Willie Watson does the nurses in the OB/GYN just hand you a pair of overalls and a bottle of bourbon or what?
I’m typically not huge into religion in my music, but Big Iron World really starts to take shape with the spiritual couplet of “God’s Got It” and “I Hear Them All” towards the end of the album. “I Hear Them All” preaches of a democratic theology as the narrator seems to hear all the voices (from Buddha to Elijah) equally in his head. There’s some nice southern fried Zen in there for sure. For the Ryan Adams, alt-country crowd you’ll find something to like in tracks 9-12. If I could re-cut Big Iron World as an EP I would tack the opener “Down Home Girl” onto the last four songs to deliver the highlights of the record.
Another thing that holds Old Crown Medicine Show back for me is the total preoccupation with cocaine as a central theme. I’m fine with sex and drugs in my rock & roll but when nearly every song has a cocaine shout out it starts to make me feel like an enabler for just listening. It’s hard to completely enjoy a chorus like “Take a whiff off me! Take a whiff off me!”
Big Iron World is an OK little bluegrass record. It reminded me that I’d still like to see the day bluegrass gets massive, but if Apple or Gap are looking for the killer bluegrass score for their new commercial—they won’t find it on this record. It’s out there somewhere, and I hope to find it. Old Crow Medicine Show isn’t ready for prime time quite yet, but they’ll sound just fine in my backyard and I’m cool with that too.
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