Sturgill Simpson’s Guide to Virtuosity

 

Originally published on addictedtonoise.com.au

There are three performers who are changing the face of country music.

Not the Big Commercial ‘beers, hats and trucks’ Country – but the alt. and outlaw country movement.

Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson are redefining and elevating not only a critical music genre but the way that Nashville is perceived.  Along with these three ground-breaking artists, the Americana Music Association continues to re-cast Music City with its all-embracing reach.  If you are in any doubt, this year’s Americana Awards feature soul and blues A-graders Leon Bridges, Bonnie Raitt, Alabama Shakes and Tedeschi Trucks Band.  In the past couple of years, disparate artists such as Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Keb Mo and Loretta Lynn have all been recognised under the Americana umbrella.

Sturgill Simpson’s ‘A Sailor’s Guide To Earth’

Photo Reto Sterchi

Sturgill Simpson’s New Album

 ‘A Sailor’s Guide To Earth’ 

Out April 15 2016

 

Sturgill Simpson’s highly anticipated new album A Sailor’s Guide To Earth will be released April 15 2016 (on Atlantic Records) and is now available for pre-order at sturgillsimpson.com or iTunes.  The first single ‘Brace For Impact (Live A Little)’ is now out (have a listen below).  An instant download of the single is included with each album pre-order.

Produced by Simpson himself, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth was written as a letter to his first child who was born in 2014 and features eight original songs as well as a rendition of Nirvana’s ‘In Bloom’.

Recorded primarily at Nashville’s The Butcher Shoppe, Simpson was joined in the studio by Grammy Award-winning engineer David Ferguson (Johnny Cash, John Prine, “Cowboy” Jack Clement) and assistant engineer Sean Sullivan.  Along with members of his touring band, the album features Dave Roe on bass, Dan Dugmore on steel guitar, Dougie Wilkinson on bagpipes (!), Garo Yellin and Arthur Cook on cello, Jonathan Dinklage and Whitney LaGrange on violin and special guests The Dap-Kings.

A Sailor’s Guide To Earth is Simpson’s third full-length album and follows his break-through, Grammy-nominated 2014 release, Metamodern Sounds In Country Music (see my top albums of 2014)

A Sailor’s Guide To Earth Track-Listing:

1. Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)

2. Breakers Roar

3. Keep It Between The Lines

4. Sea Stories

5. In Bloom

6. Brace For Impact (Live A Little)

7. All Around You

8. Oh Sarah

9. Call To Arms

Here’s the first taste, ‘Brace For Impact (Live A Little)’, which has a moody and fuzz-laden rock feel:

 

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