Steven Tyler has switched his style from rock & roll to a more country feel for his latest album.
A collaborative album with other musicians such as The Loving Mary Band and the Warren Brothers, thisRa album was developed in Nashville, the home of country music.
In his interview with Ellen DeGeneres, he explained how he has felt “country is like the new rock & roll”, interesting as rock & roll have historic roots withing country music as well as rhythm and blues. Therefore this album can be considered a revisit to the roots of music. It can be a risky business for an artist who is widely known and pigeonholed for a certain style, especially for someone performing rock music as long as Tyler.
Most of the songs have been written by Steven Tyler, with some covers including one of Janis Joplin’s famous “Piece of my Heart”. Tyler has in the past explained that she was a musical idol of his. In his cover, Tyler pays tribute to the original singer’s style but still adds his own zest. The album also includes a rebooted version of the classic Aerosmith song “Janie’s Got a Gun”, with a somber darker side to the music which reflects the story of the song.
The title song “We’re all somebody from somewhere” has a distinct rhythm & blues style, which flows well and feels rustic. Some songs didn’t seem to feel strong, such as “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” and “Somebody New” which just didn’t hit me hard. I struggle to even remember the lyrics to those songs.
“Red, White & YOU” is the most American patriotic song in the album, a type of love song but with patriotic lyrics such as a reference to the 4th of July. This is the catchiest song of the album with an exciting buzz.
For a country genre album, Tyler’s vocal range still holds its own. Husky-voiced, which is suitable for some deep songs such as “I’m my Own Worst Enemy” and “What am I doing right?”. It is worth noting that Tyler’s famous screams don’t feature often on the album. This proves a suitable choice considering the genre of the album. There is a good balance between Tyler and the band; with ground-breaking guitar and drum solos.
The lyrics can seem pretty basic, with a few standard love ballads, a couple of blues songs of coping and pain as well as an upbeat tempo song “I Make my Own Sunshine”.
“Gypsy Girl” is quite a more mysterious style. A soothing melody that can feel reminiscent of a folk song. Throughout this album entry, the listener embraces a traditional Steven Tyler style. The song sounds like a random story, with a bit of scat mixed in. “Gypsy Girl” is catchy and memorable, but is there a story to it? Debatable, but works well as country music can have a story but is determined by the listeners own interpretation.
To sum up, this album is worth a listen. If you are a fan of Tyler’s Aerosmith legacy, you may well love this. I will still love the hard-core rock music Steven Tyler is widely known for. In this album though it is refreshing to hear an artist explore new forms of creativity and expression; it proves a worthy use of Tyler’s effort and talent.
To end off here is one of the songs from the album: “Red, White & YOU”.
Feature photo credit: Flickr user Hans Westbeek
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