Album Of The Year?
Certainly possible. Dan Tyminski returns and I finally may have cracked bluegrass. RIP Avicii
Bluegrass is an intimidating genre. For as much talk as country has about tradition and gatekeeping, it has nothing on bluegrass. From the reverence and relative anonymity in popular culture that bluegrass has, it feels as if it is this hidden treasure. Readers may be surprised, I certainly was, to learn that bluegrass is actually a relatively modern genre. It dates back to roughly World War Two era Appalachia. Now obviously it is not built out of whole cloth. The line between bluegrass and “olde tyme music” - yes, an actual genre title- is not much. However, Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass boys pioneered a particular style and mixture of the contemporaneous country music and olde tyme folk sounds into an intoxicating blend of sounds that was eventually siloed off into its own genre. And siloed off it was!
Bluegrass artists are notoriously persnickety about the boundaries and appropriate manifestations of the genre. In that way, they share much in common with jazz and classical artists. Appropriate, because similar to those genres, the instrumentalists are operating at the absolute peak of musicality. This means that it can be an intimidating genre to delve into. It is musically dense and full of details that will easily slip past the casual listener. Slight stylistic tweaks that whizz over the head of the uninitiated can define whole micro genres. Archaic folk references are the rule not the exception.
Personally, I’ve barely scratched the surface of the genre. I found it difficult for a number of reasons. These reasons range from the musical complexity of the genre to the dense cultural thicket that makes access to that world difficult. On the musical side, the rhythms and structures are fundamentally different from most modern country or folk music. The level of musical ability displayed in bluegrass is much more complex and advanced than most of the music we are exposed to on radio or popular culture. The melody is important certainly, but harmony and complex picking define the genre's sensibilities. Personally not growing up around jazz or classical music, the leap from the simple formulae of modern pop, rock, and country make a large step to take to enter into the bluegrass world.
Additionally, the lack of lyrical content illustrating the intent behind the music makes it significantly more difficult to comprehend what is being conveyed. Often, bluegrass albums are heavily instrumental, if not wholly so. The intention of the instrument in bluegrass is not merely to reside alongside a story being told verbally or to “set a vibe”, as is the role of instruments in most modern popular genres, but often themselves are the means of telling over the story. They are not accompaniments. They are the messenger and as I have discussed a prior post, that is an area that I do not find myself easily understanding.
It was inevitable that I would collide with the world of bluegrass. Over time and with a shrinking world, crossover happens. That most famously took place in the Coen Brothers/ George Clooney film O Brother, Where Art thou (quick tangent, but it is commonplace to refer to a movie by the directors name- ie. a Coen Brothers/ Scorsese/Tarantino film, but never will you hear an album referred to by the producer's name. They are different roles to be sure, but in the heavily commercialized world of modern music production, is it really a stretch to say the producer is at least as important as the singer? Joey Moi has a heavy and identifiable hand. Frank Rogers (one day he will get a post about his work. Highly underrated) does as well. In pop, Max Martin is a whole genre unto himself. Food for thought. There is one notable exception. It will be discussed later on in the piece. Double points if you figure it out before then).
Realistically, aside from the occasional Hollywood dalliance with roots music, it is often country music artists who bridge the gap. Both Dierks Bentley and Alan Jackson have released entire bluegrass projects, thereby alerting legions of fans to this oft ignored corner of roots music that country owes a great deal towards. It is with these artists, themselves more vocally focused, myself more in tune with their delivery, mannerisms and storytelling that I slowly developed appreciation for the art form. I still hadn’t decided to take any sort of plunge beyond that, but I knew that at least I wasn’t not a fan of the style.
The other piece to the puzzle is a notable area where the world perked up and noticed bluegrass. In the early 2010’s, a young Swedish DJ named Tim took the world by storm. Most know him by his nom de guerre; Avicii. He released a song named Hey Brother and it was a monster smash. It was absolutely everywhere. For those of us not in tune with pop music, we may not realize just how unique a song this was. Pop was in a strongly synthetic era. Dubstep and hard house music was the strongest influence. The organic and homey undertones of Avicii’s music was different. More rootsy and authentic. It was absolutely masterful in merging the energy of dance music with the simple authenticity of roots music. The key to this was the vocal work and melody. The masterful croon anchoring the song was the world's introduction to Dan Tyminski. Now I don’t think the average listener picked up on the name of the singer. The world of dance music is full of anonymous singers and world famous DJs (the above hinted exception). That was unfortunate.
Evidently, sufficient name recognition was gained from the multi platinum smash that Dan Tyminski decided to try his hand at a solo album in 2017, Southern Gothic. I doubt most of the readership has heard it. Unfortunately it didn’t crack the zeitgeist. Probably because it was too good. This was his first solo country album, standing in deep contrast to his 20+ years as a vital part of the prestigious Allison Krauss Band (also a point of mainstream bluegrass crossover with Whiskey Lullaby). It was not just the odd contrast with the rest of his discography that made the album stand out. Rather, the content and how it was presented makes it a premier album of the 2010’s. Heavy, dark, and profound, it is a gothic take on pop country that results in a stunner and a gut punch of an album. It was the album that convinced me pop country can achieve artistry.
This was another chink in the soon to be knocked down wall between my music listening and the isolated hollers of bluegrass. When I heard Dan Tyminski was going to be releasing a solo bluegrass album with the provocative title God Fearing Heathen, I was hyped. Some of the most compelling work on Southern Gothic involved religion and spirituality. Whether that be the evocative description of the spiritual devastation of small town Americana in the title track, the painfully honest despondency of Hollow Hallelujah, or the up close and personal Devil is Downtown, Tyminski has his finger precisely located at the intersection of culture and religion. TL;DR give that album a listen. It may blow you away.
When I was sitting down to take my initial listen, I was expecting something very good. I was struck very quickly with just how exceptional this was and I began to take handwritten notes on a piece of scrap paper. I did not stop until a page and a half of chicken scratch appeared. I generally don’t like album reviews that just walk through each track and tell you “Hey, this was a good upbeat song, this one was just chill, and this one was just okay”. Paste that together with a bland summary and minimum four star final ranking and you have the standard generic dreck that populates most of the internet. Even with my deep misgivings about the format, I am going to go ahead with a stream of conscious style track by track breakdown. It just feels like the right way to approach this album. I hope that you consider giving the album a chance. It may be out of your comfort zone, but it is really an elite project that is full of great melodies, harmonies and picking along with approachable and relatable lyrical depth, even for us bluegrass amateurs.
If you want, you can listen to this album and consult my notes as you go along. It was initially written as I was engaging with the project for the first time, so that will feel natural. Or just read it like a review commentary. It should get the message across either way.
Never Coming Home- Rythmic chug-chug tempo is appropriate, the responsive vocals and instrumentals flow together especially the work in the chorus. Love the bit about “changing her number” it showcases modernity seeping into the musical lingua franca of the hollers ( which if I’m being realistic, is probably the same pop country and southern rock favored by rural working classes across America, but cultural homogenization is a conversation for a different time).
Hey Brother- If you wrote off Avicii as just another Swedish DJ, think again. This version is like a real life Piltdown Man showcasing the missing link between the high octane energy of dance music and the frenetic energy of bluegrass. Some points of the song (0:40) made me drop my pen in shock. Exceptional.
Keep Your Eyes On Kentucky- Bluegrass likes its harmonies the way the military likes its haircuts; High and tight. Quintessentially evocative. A love letter to Kentucky- cool to see a Vermont born dude discover Kentucky and its musical traditions and make it home. It’s one of a few deeply personal tributes to bluegrass and the unique culture and region that birthed the genre. Either it’s super authentic or he has really good delivery and can sell affection really well.
Never Met A Stranger- An ode to universality. Maybe a little too on-the-nose. Melody, especially in the verses, feels a drop forced.
Silence In The Brandy- A greatest generation tribute. With a realistic gaze at the downsides of the intestinal fortitude and stiff upper lip that generation put on to make it through the turbulence. The paradox of survivor guilt. The inner turmoil of feeling thankful but unworthy. Pivots to modern day and show the cultural and familial transmission of both virtue and voice. The stark accompaniment is very befitting the subject matter. Also good to see a different alcohol get some time in the sun. There is too much generic whiskey and beer in country these days. Get specific.
Title Track- The kind of perspective that the aged and weathered tone of Tyminski really lands. He has devoted a surprising amount of his solo work to unpacking the dynamics of the sin and the sainted, darkness and redemption. Not in a classic gospel sense, but in a more grounded sense. The pure acoustics emphasize the vocals and messaging making for what feels like a pure display of feeling. It wasn’t that long ago that Church services were entirely acapella. Heck, in the Middle Ages, harmonies were considered problematic and selfish in comparison to the unity and togetherness of everyone singing melody. Now admittedly this has instrumentation, and it is a guitar for the most part... and that instrument has a decidedly negative historical association with church and spirituality (after all, Robert Johnson didn’t sell his soul to the devil to learn how to play organ). Nonetheless, to modern ears it does ring true as a spirituality focused song. The song is highly effective. Maybe the heathenly instrumentation matched with the spirituality of the lyrics is further thematic depth in the split nature of Dan the God Fearing Heathen. Or maybe I’m reading way too much into this (editor note, definitely reading too much into this lol). Guitar is pretty passé in modern worship music.
GOAT- we don't have legends the way we once did. Occasionally a folk music wunderkind sprouts and we get a taste for the old myths. Enjoy it when you find it. Celebrate it. For example, go listen to Billy Strings more. The how-do-you-do-fellow-kids vibe of the title adds a needed whimsical element to this small scale mythmaking toe tapper.
No Song To Sing- The most trad vocal work gets on this record. Lovely harmonious vibes. Maybe a touch autobiographical? Would need to look more into his history. Regardless, a relatable song. Thankful for what was given and what’s been allowed to him.
Occam’s Razor- Not a common topic heard in songs. Such a cool way to present a breakup song. “I don't think I'll shave with Occam’s Razor anymore” is probably the best line in a song I’ve heard all year. Great homespun take on the philosophy meets real world experience critique. “Ol’ Occam was a fraud” lol.
Ode To Jimmy- Jimmy Martin tribute. Yes, I had to google who Tyminski was singing about. Embarrassing? Probably. Regardless, this song is another example of the respectful traditional culture of bluegrass. It pays respect to an iconic and critical member of Bill Monroes original band. Even a longstanding member of an iconic bluegrass institution felt the need to pay his dues and salute his influences. Martin pioneered the “high lonesome” sound of bluegrass harmonies and is considered to be a father of the genre. It’s good to hear a tribute song that actually sounds influenced by the admired artist.
Overall thoughts on the album are overwhelmingly positive. Every aspect that goes into an album is executed properly. I don't like how discourse surrounding music tends to break music into three simple “objective” categories of writing, vocals and production/instrumentals. There is so much more that goes into it. Emotional resonance can’t simply be broken down into a formulaic algorithm. A radio hit can be manufactured but the ones that stick weren’t. Perhaps this is more on the subjective side, but to this fellas ear, this album excels especially at the amorphous elements that aren’t as easily understood. For one, it strikes the balance between having a sense of cohesion without sounding the same. A consistent warm folksy palette is employed to paint the images of the album. That easily could end up with a “Ten hours of generic genre instrumental YouTube video” territory. Fortunately, sufficient complexity and differentiation is introduced throughout to prevent that from happening.
Importantly, the arrangements are carefully tweaked for each song. A song that details more somber topics will have a more stark and empty arrangement to reflect that vibe. It further enhances the sense of cohesion and oneness. Choice lyrics and judicious use of harmony only adds to this string sense of deep understanding of the material.
A defining aspect of bluegrass, and one that shines on this record, is how unlike rock influenced music, the delicacy and primacy of the subtle nuanced picking is preserved and not drowned in reverb. It adds leagues of depth to the mix. The result is an inviting and digestible dose of warm delightful rootsy acoustics that melds perfectly with the chocolatey croon of Mr. Tyminski. Just as important as capable vocal work is the nuances of delivery and tone that only a veteran singer can properly provide.
Themes run throughout the album; perhaps not as overt as the title would imply, but still in abundance. An autobiographical tone runs throughout, touching on personal history, faith, values, contradiction, place, musical traditions and all that goes into assembling the person of Dan Tyminski. Each carefully considered and creatively crafted song provides a particular and precise piece to the puzzle. In the vein of great art, every aspect of the album contributes towards the total picture, resulting in a product that is far more than the sum of its parts. Tyminski operates like an enthusiastic and talented theater director with every aspect from A to Z carefully manipulated for the purpose of maximum emotional and messaging conveyance. I am mighty impressed. I hope the reader gives it a shot. Rest assured, it will find a place high up on my end of year list.
Thanks for reading,
Joe