Brighter Than Creation's Dark is the latest album from indie southern rockers Drive-By Truckers and the band's first without guitarist Jason Isbell. Former Sugar bassist David Barbe is once again behind the console.
With songs being contributed for the first time by each of Patterson Hood, Shonna Tucker, and Mike Cooley, the 19-tracks on this epic are quite varied. Yes, most of the songs fall in the southern rock/alt. country genres that we've come to expect from the band, but within those lines we get a wide swing in styles.
The album opens with a plunky acoustic country number "Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife" before moving on to a gritty rocker in "3 Dimes Down". Hood's "The Righteous Path" marries the country influence to slick power pop to create possibly the most anthemic song in the band's catalogue.
The Truckers move effortlessly from painful and cathartic songs like "Daddy Needs a Drink" to hard plowing rockers like "The Man I Shot". We're also treated to old school country, "Lisa's Birthday", and Neil Young style waltz's like "Self Destructive Zones".
A pleasant surprise is the vocal work of bassist Shonna Tucker. She shows the wherewithal to keep within her range and at her best, like on "The Purgatory Line", her voice comes across as similar to Lucinda Williams or Emmylou Harris.
The band even hits experimental Wilco territory with "You and Your Crystal Meth".
The one drawback of the album is its length. It's obvious the Drive-By Truckers are bursting with ideas, however it does make the album a little hard to absorb.
Drive-By Truckers play The Phoenix in Toronto tonight with The Hold Steady.
Best tracks: "Daddy Needs a Drink", "The Righteous Path"
Track listing for Brighter Than Creation's Dark:
- Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife
- 3 Dimes Down
- The Righteous Path
- I'm Sorry Huston
- Perfect Timing
- Daddy Needs a Drink
- Self Destructive Zones
- Bob
- Home Field Advantage
- The Opening Act
- Lisa's Birthday
- That Man I Shot
- The Purgatory Line
- The Home Front
- Checkout Time In Vegas
- You and Your Crystal Meth
- Goode's Field Road
- A Ghost To Most
- Monument Valley
7.5
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