The opening track,
“Another Town,” comes on strong, with a loud burst of energy, then settles into
a really good country rock tune, with lots of guitar. I would love to see him
perform this one in concert. “So don’t
ask me when I’ll be coming back through that door/’Cause, honey, you don’t ask
the questions around these parts anymore.” That’s followed by “A Natural
End,” which is just a bit more mellow, but then rocks on the chorus: “Let’s have a natural end before we begin/And
maybe then we’ll have a chance to win/Let’s have a natural end before we
begin/And maybe then you and I will have a chance to win.”
“The Big Catch” is more
in folk and country realm. It has a quieter, sweeter sound, but the lyrics are
certainly not sweet. Check out these lines: “And there’s something your parents never told you/That the place in
between where they slept/Was filled up with lies and resentment/The only things
your parents ever kept.” This is a song about how sometimes the mistakes
that parents make are then internalized and carried on by the children when
they too become parents. It’s a really strong track, one of this CD’s many
highlights.
Another highlight, “Eighteen
Wheels,” is one of my favorites, a seriously excellent country rock tune. This
track features Rhett Miller (from Old 97’s) on vocals, plus some very cool work
on piano by Chris Tuttle. I love the energy of this song. This would be a good
one for a road trip mix CD. Its lyrics contain references to country artists
like Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris, and also Bob Dylan. “I Can’t Make You
Happy” also refers to Bob Dylan, specifically “Tangled Up In Blue.” (By the
way, one thing I find interesting in that song is the repetition of “Even if I tried” at the end, for it
indicates that he actually hasn’t tried to make her happy.)
“Never Gonna Last” is
more in the acoustic country realm, and is another of my favorites. This one is
a duet, with Jenna Paulette providing the second set of lead vocals, and is
about a problematic relationship. Jenna sings, “I’ve been planning for the future/You’ve been living in the past.”
And Ronnie responds, “All we know about
tomorrow/Is that it’s never gonna last.” In addition to excellent vocals,
this track has a really nice instrumental section.
After that one, Ronnie
gets back to rock with “I’m Sorry Baby (That’s Just The Way It Goes),” yet
another excellent tune. It’s strange, because the lyrics totally depress me,
but the music makes me want to grab a beer and dance. It feels a bit odd to
dance to lines like “That emptiness it
fills you from your head down to your toes.” But perhaps dancing is exactly
what we should be doing, as the music of this song sort of tells us to make the
best of it, even as the lyrics have a fatalistic quality. “And the days go by so slowly where they used to go so fast/And whiskey
does not taste as good when you only pour one glass.”
“Song For Zula” is the
album’s only cover. It was written by Matthew Houck, and originally recorded by
Phosphorescent. I really like these lines: “See,
the cage, it called. I said, ‘Come on in’/I will not open myself up this way
again.” This one refers to Johnny Cash, specifically to “Ring Of Fire,” in
its opening lines.
CD Track List
- Another Town
- A Natural End
- The Big Catch
- Eighteen Wheels
- A Place Out In The Country
- Never Gonna Last
- I’m Sorry Baby (That’s Just The Way It Goes)
- Song For Zula
- I Can’t Make You Happy
- Old Life
- Come On Down
Built To Break was released on November 4, 2014 through Normaltown
Records.
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