Down ‘Play’
Prior to his new album ‘Play,’ Brad Paisley was really known for two things: generic sounding pop-country songs and album covers that looked like they were Photoshopped by an 8-year-old. Well, one of those things hasn’t changed in the new album – the cover looks just as tacky.
Remember when Coldplay explored worldly sounds in ‘Viva la Vida?’
That is basically what Paisley tries to do. In ‘Play,’ he takes the listener on a journey between modern country, classic jazz and soulful blues (plus a little surf rock). He endeavors on a detour from his previous work but still manages to mix in some of the pop-country songs his current fans are accustomed to.
Paisley kicks off the album with ‘Huckleberry Jam,’ which can best be described as a combination of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Fire’ (though by no means are the two remotely comparable) and some fast paced Southern jazz.
The song not only features smooth guitar but also has touches of fiddle and banjo. It is also one of only four instrumental songs on the album. So, it is somewhat difficult to figure out what part of the song Paisley is playing.
The album includes strange duets such as ‘Pre-Cluster Cluster Pluck Prequel,’ which is mainly a conversation between a grandfather and grandson. The song begins in spoken word from the grandson asking his grandfather how to chicken pluck. The grandfather responds with the names of famous guitarists and Paisley plays in their style.
This would be great for an early 1900s radio drama, but seeing as this is a modern country album, most Paisley fans would probably rather do without it.
But true Paisley fans should be sure to check out a few songs. The first single, titled ‘Start a Band,’ is a duet with Australian country singer Keith Urban. The song features both musicians singing about how they would rather pursue careers in bands rather than further their academic careers.
While the song attempts to appeal to masses with omniscient lines such as when the singers say they are ‘living in a world that they don’t understand,’ it fails to be about anything more than a pop ballad with little depth and a catchy melody. In fact, the melody at the end of the chorus is almost identical to that of Tim McGraw’s song ‘ Last Dollar (Fly Away).’
Lack of originality is a theme in the album. Paisley tends to take methods from other artists and work them into his own songs. It seems he is trying to broaden his audience with classic melodies. But rather than bringing old techniques to the 21st century, Paisley is trying to duplicate the work of legendary jazz and country artists. In fact, he even does a duet with B.B. King which is equally embarrassing for both of them; Paisley uses King for a ‘big name’ on the album, and King stoops down to Paisley’s level to pay the bills.
Though the album clearly has its faults, it has one redeeming song: the album finale, ‘Waitin’ on a Woman.’
The song, which is a duet with actor and director Andy Griffith, speaks of the pains of waiting for love. It differs from the rest of the album in that it goes back to Paisley’s earlier work that dealt with complex love relationships.
The moral of the song is that true love is worth waiting for – even if it takes a lifetime. Maybe next time Paisley releases an album he will wait to think about his current fans rather than expanding his audience. And maybe, just maybe, he will hire a new graphic designer for his album covers.
