Brighter Than Creation's Dark

Today's Music of the Day is Drive-By Truckers' Brighter Than Creation's Dark. This album came to me via the public library, mostly due to being unfamiliar with the group. There will be no background on the band today, though.

Brighter Than Creation's Dark isn't exactly my cup of tea, but it is a decent album. The themes here are fairly simple - the lyrics are as rustic as the singer's voice - but it's still a far cry from the banality of most top-40 radio. The electric guitar is prevalent here, but the album is still very much a country music album, in spite of the twang being less consistent that one might expect. The mood here varies from feisty and rowdy to subtle and unhappy. Generally, a man with a good-natured voice that sounds of canned beer and dust sings, though a woman with heartache in her voice has turns at the microphone as well.

While the album is perhaps less rambunctious overall than I would prefer, it's not a bad listen. The performance here is somewhat less invested than a personal, small-scale album like the Rural Alberta Advantage's Hometowns, so it's not quite a triumph, but it does have quite a bit going for it. It isn't hard to relate to, and the diversity of tempo and mood are welcome.

In Short: Perhaps not my first choice, but not terrible by any means, and a decent choice for anyone who likes their music a little closer to open skies and green fields.

In Other News:
Thank goodness the week is over. Next week should be horribly busy but fun.

I'm on drugs! They're prescribed. I don't like them, but it's just a short-term deal, and nothing serious. I'll be fine, honestly.