| Cracker - Countrysides |
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| Music Disc Reviews Audio CD | |
| Written by Dan MacIntosh | |
| Tuesday, 07 October 2003 | |
| Performance 8 | Sound 7 | It’s said by those in the know that an oddball country band lurks deep within the nether regions of Cracker. The group’s twangy alter ego emerges fully out of the closet for this album of cover versions (for the most part) and country-centered tunes. This second instance of Cracker’s double life appears in the shape of an outlaw country outlet – at least based upon the evidence found here. There’s plenty of Merle, a little old Hank Jr. and a whole lot of beer-swilling country music on this loose ‘n’ fun disc. There’s a trio of similar-sounding cuts on this recording that serve as this album’s musical centerpiece. This section begins with “Up Against The Wall Redneck Mothers,” which -- although written by Ray Wylie Hubbard -- became a hit for Jerry Jeff Walker. It’s given a bouncing honky-tonk treatment here, all twangy guitar and plunking piano. “Family Tradition” parallels it nicely with its woozy barroom beat, and “The Bottle Let Me Down” (the old Merle Haggard staple) is powered by trickling piano and a drunk-sounding David Lowry vocal, completing this unholy trinity. There are also a few serious tracks here, as well as one pissed-off one. “Sinaloa Cowboys” is Bruce Springsteen’s song about the dangers of being an illegal alien meth cooker in Fresno County. It follows the story of two brothers, and ends when one sadly dies. Its cautionary words are underpinned by a sweetly quiet accordion backing. “Reasons To Quit,” which features a Willie Nelson-esque acoustic guitar solo, is the flipside of “Family Tradition,” since it’s about the dangers of a smoking and drinking lifestyle. In it, the cons ultimately outweigh the pros. “Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room” is a slow and sad murder ballad. (Yep, more death.) “She wore red dresses/Now she is dead,” it goes. “Ain’t Gonna Suck Itself,” a Doug Sahm-like Tex-Mex record company kiss-off, closes the album on a sour note. It’s also the only original song on the disc. At a short nine-song length, “Countrysides” is brief trip down Cracker’s rootsy back roads. But what a fun and enlightening little journey it is. Like this article? Bookmark and share with any of the sites below.        |
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