As a lover of folk music in general, I guess I should be
ecstatic about the recent trend that sees country music merging
with folk more and more. This is, by no means, a new concept; the
late Townes Van Zandt and Billy Joe Shaver have all mastered this
songwriting technique.
But when the end result is performed in a melancholy way, the
overall result is less than positive. This is the case with
Nothing But The Truth, the latest disc from Stephen Bruton.
I’m sure this could have been a killer disc, if Bruton didn’t sing
and perform as if he was singing from a hammock, sipping a
lemonade.
There are times that Bruton reminds me of Bruce Springsteen,
kicking back on his guitar and spinning a tale that needs to be
told, such as on “When Love Finds You,” or allowing just the beauty
of his music to take hold of your soul, as on the album closer
“Spirit Lake”. Times like these are special, and Bruton knows how
to keep you interested until the last note has faded out.
But there are other times where such a laid-back approach just
doesn’t work as well. “Everything Happens For A Reason”, all six
minutes’ worth, is a song that could have been told in half the
time with double the guitar work. This particular track seems to be
locked in to one guitar riff, and it’s a boring one at that.
And while the more gentle, laid-back approach occasionally
works, in the end,
Nothing But The Truth could have used a little excitement
injected into its music. Tracks like “Against My Will,” “She’s The
Reason” and “Nobody Gets Hurt” all tend to mush together in a
broken-heart jumble of notes and long, drawn-out vocals. One word
for the next album: variety.
And it’s not that Bruton isn’t trying; it’s just that in the
haze of melancholia, I’m certain some wonderful stories are being
lost in the translation. I don’t think that was Bruton’s intention;
maybe it’s that this is a disc that requires not only several
listens, but also some serious thought.
Nothing But The Truth is a disc that has its moments, but if
the truth be told, it could have been a little more exciting and
dynamic, musically speaking.
