The Daily Spin, September 18
Tyler Childers | Rustin' In The Rain
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here. Additionally, you can check out a list of my favorite song from each album right here.
Album: Rustin’ In The Rain (2023)
Artist: Tyler Childers
Link:
Country and bluegrass have always been on the periphery of what I listen to - never really been much to my taste, and Tyler Childers’ admirable effort Rustin’ In The Rain will unfortunately be dragged down somewhat by that factor.
He automatically gains a great deal of respect for not making rote pop-country, the sort of song that might make mention of a beer, a truck, and a blonde bombshell, the sort of song that hollers about small towns and God’s country while being sung by a faithless man from a tall metropolis - hypocrisy, after all, remains the name of the game, and the better one can impostor, the greater their success.
Childers eschews that, with his roots in rural Kentucky and an affable demeanor that seeps through his music, authenticity increasingly rare in a genre built on it, and it’s that same genuineness that bolsters his efforts - ‘In Your Love’ is a delightful little ballad, and the video, featuring a gay couple, is a lovely little touch from a subsect of music that has rarely ever been overtly friendly to queer people.
Though it isn’t really much for me, I can’t say I’m sad to see this come out - if nothing else, it’s a refreshing direction for bluegrass and country, one I think we should be encouraging if possible.
Rating: 6.9/10
Best Tracks: In Your Love
Worst Tracks: Luke 2:8-10; Percheron Mules