Sturgill Simpson - High Top Mountain

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 22 / 3 / 2014

---

Review

Nashville based but originally from Kentucky, Sturgill Simpson attracted a lot of attention on his recent UK and Irish tour. Simpson makes country music like it used to be made. Despite where he currently calls home there’s little of the fake/slick Nashville sound here. Simpson, like all the country greats, sings from the heart and is completely believable. Whether you are going to like the music Simpson makes lies simply in your opinion of country music because there’s no mistaking what Simpson is aiming for here, twelve songs, ten of which are Simpson originals, which not only recall most of country’s biggest artists at some time throughout ‘High Top Mountain’, but easily match their work. ‘High Top Mountain’ was only recently released in the UK but has been available in other territories for the last year. Simpson already has his next album, ‘Metamodern Sounds in Country Music’, ready for release in May of this year. So, apart from the obvious influence George Jones, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings (to name just a few) have had in Simpson’s work, there’s an indication there that Simpson is also allowing a fleeting nod to Ray Charles as well. For an album that could have been made at almost any time during the last fifty or so years Simpson makes his country music sound remarkably contemporary. Not all country music, and we’re talking classic, authentic country music here, has aged well, so it’s to Simpson and producer Dave Cobb’s credit that they’ve captured not only that classic country sound but made it acceptable to many in 2014 who previously felt that country was still a dirty word. Producer Cobb always brings out the best in the artists he works with; one gets the feeling that he helps the artist develop their own sound without his own ideas flooding the songs. Check the credits on the latest albums by Jason Isbell and Linda Ortega for further proof. But, although Simpson had Cobb on board along with well-respected musicians Robby Turner (whose steel guitar playing has graced many of the songs in any country fan’s collection) and keyboardist Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins (again even if the name means little to you, it’s likely Robbins can be heard on albums you own), and given their pedigree any album featuring those names couldn’t fail to impress, what really makes ‘High Top Mountain’ one of those must-have albums is the original songs Simpson has written. The storming opening cut, ‘Life ain’t Fair and the World is Mean’, is a rocking slab of pure country. “You won’t hear my song on the radio/The new sound’s all the rage,” sings Simpson but he’s hopefully wrong there. This song deserves to be heard blasting out from every country music radio station. ‘Railroad of Sin’ follows and is cut from the same cloth. At this point the listener is beginning to think that with the opening couple of songs just clocking in at a few seconds over two minutes we’re in for an exhilarating crash course in up-tempo country music, but the next song, ‘Water in a Well’, is the first indication that there’s so much more to Simpson than just another country performer. Slowing things down and given the space and time to let the passion in his vocals really make their mark, it’s a breathtaking performance, and, while Simpson proved that he’s keeping country music alive in 2014 with that opening duo of songs, ‘Water in a Well’ is the first indication on ‘High Top Mountain’ that he’s a cut above the rest. ‘The Storm’, although not betraying Simpson’s country leanings, is an atmospheric piece of music that again proves that Simpson is no one trick country pony. But even when Simpson takes the pure country route he’s capable of holding your attention through his lyrics. The humour he displays in songs such as ‘You Can Have the Crown’ (“Well I’ve been spending all my money on weed and pills/Trying to write a song that’ll pay the bills”… “So Lord if I could just get me a record deal, I might not have to worry about my next meal”) is yet another side to his talents which makes Simpson’s music worthy of your time. But there are also two other songs where Simpson pushes those pure country sounds into the background as he does on ‘The Storm’, and where he looks back on times long past to create the centrepiece of ‘High Top Mountain’. ‘Hero’ is a heartfelt tribute to either a father or grandfather. Again given the space and time to breath, Simpson turns in another breathtaking performance vocally and his lyrics, remarkably given the subject matter, never once verge on being oversentimental. ‘Old King Coal’ is the other track that is obviously close to Simpson’s heart. Exposing both sides of the dilemma of a mining community closing down, it is yet further proof that Simpson, if he keeps writing songs of this quality, is here to stay. The last two songs on ‘High Top Mountain’ where Simpson takes two country classics are brilliantly performed, but one feels that Simpson has added them to as a kind of tribute to those whose music he admires and is keeping alive. After ten original songs where Simpson and his chosen musicians have skillfully shown that country music can still be fresh and relevant, it’s almost like he’s added these songs as some kind of apology for having the talent to write such authentic country songs in 2014; like Simpson needed to add these songs to show respect to the original country greats. Simpson does however turn in a more than perfunctorily version of the standard ‘Poor Rambler’, updating it while still keeping true to the many versions we’ve grown up with. The other cover ‘I’d Have to Be Crazy’, probably best known by Willie Nelson, is given a Southern soul slant that benefits the song perfectly; it’s a brilliant performance by all concerned. ‘High Top Mountain’has ten original songs that prove, beyond any doubt, that Sturgill Simpson is going to be huge in country music and two covers that show he can also inject new life into old country classics. ‘Metamodern Sounds In Country Music’ is already on the list.

Track Listing:-

1 Life Aint Fair and the World Is Me
2 Railroad of Sin
3 Water In a Well
4 Sitting Here Without You
5 The Storm
6 You Can Have the Crown
7 Time after All
8 Hero
9 Some Days
10 Old King Coal
11 Old King Coal
12 I'd Have To Be Crazy

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/sturgillsimps
http://www.sturgillsimpson.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgill
https://sturgillsimpson.bandcamp.com/r
https://twitter.com/sturgillsimpson

Label Links:-

http://loosemusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/loosemusic
https://twitter.com/looseMusic
http://www.last.fm/user/Loose_Music
https://www.youtube.com/loosemusic
https://instagram.com/loose_music/