by John Glab (@glabglabglab_)
A Country Western are always trying something new. The project has always been entuned with a slowcore sound but going from one of their releases to the next, there are steady upticks in energy and changes in sound. Their first work they put out, Phenom is very ambient in nature, with the mix of the few vocals blending into the downtrodden sound. The self-titled EP has a lot more forceful rhythms with beats akin to trip-hop. The EP is often grating in its sound but in an unaggressive abrasive fashion.
birdfeeder, the band's first album, took a more upbeat approach to the slowcore sound, including more succinct song structures similar to their friends in feeble little horse. In the years since, A Country Western have also put out several tracks that take influence from the darker, noisier tones many modern shoegaze bands use, mixed in with those glitchier elements.
On A Country Western’s new album Life on the Lawn they once again tweak their sound into something new and dial up the energy ever so much more. They keep the general vibe reflective of their namesake, but instead of using the stylings of slowcore, they opt for a more straight forward alternative country rock approach. The whole vibe is punchier and steadier, and no longer defined by a dragging stuttering nature. Driving guitar riffs with a controlled caustic tone are at center stage for many of the album’s defining high energy moments.
Leading off, the track “Great is the Grip of the Hawk” cycles in a gingerly ascending loop smothered by the chaos brought out by bright overdriven tones and constantly crashing cymbals. It then cools into a section of steadily intervaled palm muted guitar picking. Here, when the vocals come in, it sounds very reminiscent of something like one of Wilco’s noisier tracks. The song “The Dreamer” is similar, feeling like a blaze down a highway that cuts outside one of the more sprawled out sections of a city. The line “I was always a dreamer,” showcases this sentiment, along with the general satisfied with being carefree attitude expressed in the rest of the song's lyrics.
Inversely, on some of the album’s slower songs, the slowcore essence that has been the previous focus of the band gleams through. The second half of the track “Sidewalk” has a drifting feel to it, like shifting side to side between different debates in a person’s head. A constant rattle persists throughout while soothing guitar chimes overlay. The sprawling six-minute long “The Spine” conveys a somber, reminiscing thought and feeling. “Wasting the Weekend” ends the album and is much like the song “You Only Sold Me” from birdfeeder. However, “Wasting the Weekend” gives off an energy that’s much less dejected, instead being more spirited, having an air of optimism and acceptance.
What feels most fundamentally different about Life on the Lawn compared to A Country Western’s previous releases is its outlook on the world. Previously, when confronting negative thoughts and feelings, the band came off as cynical, agitated, and distraught. Granted these are all valid feelings and imbedded a sense of poignancy when listening through their work. With the new album though, the reflections on negativity seem to come from a more sober mindset. Instead of lashing out, asking why things are happening, and being overburdened by what’s happening, the band is instead analytical and reflective about things.
Whatever problem that a song addresses, the response is to realize what is wrong, and identify and change whatever can be controlled. Even if the issues of the world or one’s life persist, a positive constructive approach can make them easier to deal with. It’s a lot more of a fulfilling approach to life that leaves a person generally happier and less of a despondent doomer in a daily sense. Perhaps “Coming To Terms,” the last track from A Country Western’s previous album, was a signifier of this attitude, issuing a stretch of personal growth. This whole outlook is matched in the new sonic tone that the band puts out. The dynamic, energetic riffs and songs are harmonious with the attitude of making amends in any situation.