Butch Walker – Sycamore Meadows
December 8, 2008
I have been waiting for a long, long time for a new album to come rolling out from this man. The album was supposed to come out a while ago, but when your house burns down due to some forest fires that are ruining the local forestry… well I can understand a delay.
Thankfully after my faithful wait, I have been rewarded with his new release: Sycamore Meadows. After giving this album a couple of listens, it has quickly become one of my favorites for all time. It’s both amazingly happy and startlingly deep, many times simultaneously.
Track Listing:
- The Weight Of Her **
- Going Back/Going Home **
- Here Comes The…
- Ponce De Leon Ave.
- Ships In A Bottle **
- Vessels
- Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car, Thought Of You **
- The 3 Kids In Brooklyn
- Summer Scarves **
- A Song For The Metalheads **
- Closer To The Truth And Further From The Sky **
- ATL **
- Untitled (Hidden Track)
**Clear Favorites
Once again, I’ll try and avoid gushing like the ridiculous fan-boy that I am for Butch Walker. It’s just so hard when he’s so god-damned good.
Wait, that wasn’t biased was it? Nah.
So … Sycamore Meadows. How can I describe this? Well it’s an label-free release by Butch Walker, newest in the line up (as of this post in any case). It’s far more “home-grown” than his previous stuff, with a lot more country influence than anything else he’s put out. After much consideration, I’ve opted to class this as a fusion between blue-grass and alt-rock. I’m sure blue-grass and alt-rock fans will both probably hate on me for saying that. Yes, I just said “hate on me.” Live with it.
I’ve been listening to this album at least once a day since I got it ( which isn’t as much as you’d think, as it came out in November. Shipping was painfully slow) and I have finally managed to clearly define what songs that I cannot live without, and what songs I simply cannot stand. Others require a mood for me to enjoy them, otherwise they are very quickly skipped over. I have this nagging feeling that I won’t be alone. Much like his other albums, Butch seems to have a knack for being very hit or miss with his songs. He also has a knack for making sure that these songs hit and miss differently.
One thing that has been constant throughout all of his work though, is that every track has a personal touch. There have been many a time where I have sat there wondering “did this actually happen to him or what?” The fact that I have such trouble discerning between fact and fiction only helps to demonstrate that everything feels like it was pulled from his past, dusted off, and arranged around. ATL is by far the best example of this, and the video for Ships In A Bottle was filmed in the ruins of Butch’s former home. It’s the little things like this that really help make you more than just listen to the album; you feel it as well. This is probably what sets him apart as a fantastic musical artist in my mind.
I think the only complaint I can actually have with the album is literally that some of the tracks are almost entirely unlistenable (I am very sure I just made “unlistenable” up). Ponce De Leon Ave. ranks top on my list of “cannot stand whatsoever” with “Here comes the…” coming at a close second. Everything else that wasn’t starred simply requires me to be in the right mood.
Regardless of the hit and miss nature of the tracks, I implore any and everyone who likes alternative, country, blue grass, Alt Rock, Indie, and just plain ol’ good music to give Sycamore Meadows a listen or three.
9/10
Categories: Amazing! Miscellaneous Music Reviews
Tagged under: 9/10, Butch Walker, music, Music Reviews, Sycamore Meadows
