The name Sturgill Simpson first came to my notice when he
was included in Grady Smith’s infamous list of the 10 Best Country Albums of
2013 in the influential US publication Entertainment Weekly. While Grady had to
deal with the industry onslaught about its content, the alternative opportunity
for me when scouring this list was to check out the unfamiliar artist amongst a
stellar bunch of selections. Well the good news comes in threes as first, HIGH
TOP MOUNTAIN is an excellent album, secondly Sturgill Simpson is visiting us
very soon for dates and the esteemed UK label Loose Music have taken over the
reins of giving the record its European release.
It is pretty easy to deduce from this introduction that
Sturgill Simpson does not conform to the current requirements of male artists
from the country music elite but that never deterred Johnny Cash, Willie
Nelson, Waylon Jennings and more recently Dale Watson from creating their own
niche with a sound true to their ideals. Simpson set out to record ‘the purest,
most uncompromising, hard country album anyone has made in 30 years’ and
whether this lofty ambition has been fulfilled remains to be seen but the
result is a whole hearted attempt to stem the direction of a genre's populist tide. If
Dale Watson wants to take a breather in his fight against the system then Sturgill Simpson has
kindly offered to take up the mantle with this album.
While some apologies are offered to the constant naming of
other artists, it was impossible to listen to Sturgill without conjuring up
aural visions of Dwight Yoakam shaking the core of country music with the 80’s
honky tonk revival. Throughout the
course of the 12 tracks, the fruits of Simpson’s song writing, accomplished
contributors (including Hall of Fame pianist Hargus ‘Pig Robbins’ and steel
guitarist Robby Turner) and his skills of emotional execution, ebb and flow with a pace
variety to maximise listener engagement. From the heartfelt spine tingling
homage to his maternal grandfather ‘Hero’
to the rip roaring obligatory train tune ‘Railroad
of Sin’, the ‘uncompromising’ reference in Simpson’s mission statement has
been achieved.
To fulfil his lifelong dream of turning art into a living,
Simpson has surrounded himself with a host of other aspirants in re-locating to
Nashville, Tennessee but the experiences of his Kentucky upbringing surface in
the reflective mining industry track ‘Old
King Coal’. Life travels have taken Simpson out west and the album gets off
to a storming start with his autobiographical anecdote that ‘Life Ain’t Fair and the World Is Mean’. The
consistent high quality of all the tracks makes a standout one a tough
selection but the rockin’ ‘You Can Have
the Crown’ takes the virtual prize due to its driving beat and fantastic
lyrical content commencing with the scene setter ‘I’ve been spending all my
money on weed and pills, trying to write a song that’ll pay the bills’.
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| Photo by Melissa Madison Fuller |
Simpson gave way on his song writing for the final two
tracks on the album, choosing to hone in on his own flat picking skills for the
bluegrass standard ‘Poor Rambler’. A
jazzy feel to a song made popular by Willie Nelson ‘I’d Have to be Crazy’ steers you through the exit door in a
philosophical mood. The production on these and Simpson’s originals strikes the
balance between a minimalist approach and an aim to give the presence of piano,
guitar and omnipresent steel the opportunity to flavour the album with an
essence of old time country.
Having received acclaim in certain US circles following the stateside
release, HIGH TOP MOUNTAIN gets its formal UK introduction on February 17 and
this is an album not to be missed by anybody motivated in discovering the soul
of country music. Let’s leave the word retro on one side for the moment and
rejoice in the existence of the true spirit of the genre alive and kicking in
the work of Sturgill Simpson.
Full album details including tour dates