Effortless Country

The latest album from Jason Boland & the Stragglers does just what its title, Squelch, suggests. Popular country music today often dabbles in other genres with the mix of pop, rock, R&B and even hip-hop at times, but not Squelch. With the sharp wit of its song lyrics to the honky-tonk sound and feel, this album is the epitome of traditional country music, and unapologetically so.

Catchy and flowing, this 11-track album is truly a toe-tapper that hooks from start to finish. “Break 19,” the first track, sounds like a Saturday night at a bar in the Deep South with its fast-pace and use of the fiddle. Then there’s “The First to Know,” which follows suit with a quick-moving beat and lyrics to match, presenting a genuine country sound.

With more of a blunt name than the previous two tracks, the Saturday night pace continues on track three, “I Guess It’s Alright to Be an Asshole.” This straightforward song stands out the most on the album with lyrics that dive into society’s way of rewarding bad behavior depending on how good of a spin is put on it. “I guess it’s alright to be an asshole if you’re good.” This is not the only song off the album with a one-of-a-kind title—as the tracks continue, so do the unique names.

The beat of “Fat and Merry” is one to do-si-do to, but the lyrics also provide a little humor to the idea of living life to the fullest: “Let’s all live fat and merry / ’cause life’s so ordinary / Let’s all live fat and merry / before we die.” Like “Fat and Merry,” another song with a beat and lyrics surely created to get stuck in the heads of listeners is the last track off the album. The title of the song, “Fuck, Fight and Rodeo,” puts a country spin to a song that is actually a criticism of the U.S. political system. “Nothing’s ever gunna change / with their kind running the show / Welcome to our home down range / to fight, fuck and rodeo.”

Do not be fooled though, Squelch has its share of bluesy, country songs as well. Boland croons his way through “Do You Love Me Any Less,” singing out loud the thoughts of doubt many others have likely had in certain relationships. “Do you love me any less when I’m gone? / Do you love me anymore when I’m at home? / Do you think of someone else when you hear your favorite song?” It dabbles in the uncertainty that can sometimes come with relationships, but does so without being too sentimental.

“Bienville,” the tenth track off the album, is the end of that Saturday night from earlier. A perfect song for lovers to hold each other on the dance floor, swaying to the smooth melody of one final song, “Bienville” is about finally finding love. “All of my life I prayed I would find / another lost soul with a travelin’ mind / Years spent wishin’ left me ill prepared / for the Bienville Hotel and the time that we shared.” Though slower than many of the other songs, “Bienville” is yet another example of an authentic country song on an album full of authentic country songs. The sound of Squelch is so effortlessly country and that’s what makes it an album worth listening to.