Poetic, Clever and Fun-Loving

Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real’s new album, Sticks and Stones, is a playful display of true country music. Though this album isn’t one for poetic lyricism and deep meaning, it serves its purpose as a fun, spirited country album.

A man who drinks away his troubles missing his partner is no new story to country music, but told through bluesy piano solos, the song “Every Time I Drink” adds an exciting backdrop. The song “Alcohallelujah” blends two staple elements of country: God and alcohol, presenting listeners with a clever, frisky song laced with gospel tones about a man’s simple love for alcohol.

The song “Ladder of Love” tells the story of the toils of falling in love with the metaphor of climbing up a mountain. Through the climbing-scale opening the song followed by honkey tonk-fused swing music and bouncy syncopated rhythms, they set the tone for a clever, fun-loving song.

The play on words in “Alcohallelujah” and the hilarious concept behind the song “Wrong House,” a very literal title, makes for a generally fun album on account of lyricism, as well as instrumentation. That’s not to say that the album doesn’t offer a certain level of emotional depth.

The song “Lying” and the closing track “The View” are both more acoustic intimate sets, discussing the loss of a partner and the simplicity of a loving relationship. While these ideas of heartbreak and simple love are stereotyped ideas in country music, the songs hit at a deeper, more emotional perspective which aren’t present throughout the rest of the album. While this album is joyful and fun in lots of ways, it also offers a deeper perspective, all the while grounding the idea of family in the genre of country music.

To conclude, this album isn’t one for poeticism or complex thoughtful lyrics, but it is at its core just a really fun album — in style, in sound and in theme. It’s almost as country as it gets!