Old Crow Medicine Show have claimed their place firmly in the dynamic world of modern country music. So, it’s no secret that the Grammy award winning and Grand Ole Opry members’ new album, Jubilee was highly anticipated. This album perfectly slots into the distinct canon that Old Crow Medicine Show display in their music. It’s a folksy, joyful, playful album, yet nonetheless laced with meaningful storytelling and deeper meaning.
The opening track, “Ballad of Jubilee Jones” is a perfect example of just that. It’s a fun, upbeat, swing styled song, which any listener would have a lot of fun with, but holds, at its heart, a deeper message. The main character, a symbol of the drive and hardworking mentality of blue-collar workers. It’s the story of a man “born to sing the song of the common man.” A song that is just as stirring and meaningful as it is happy and bouncy.
That said, the album is laced with songs of happy-go-lucky storytelling paired with outstanding musicianship, a duality which the band have mastered. The song “Belle Meade Cockfight,” is a song about the frivolous joy of finding love at the cockfight, crowned with ad-libs and clucking chickens. The song “Shit kicked In,” is an upbeat, more eerie sounding ballad about the spell of a voodoo woman in New Orleans. “Wolfman of the Ozarks” is a folksy, Honky-tonk styled song, incorporating old folk tales and horror stories. Alongside the fiddles, guitars and raspy vocals, Old Crow Medicine Show explore their deep country roots.
Some standouts of the album come interspersed with these upbeat, happy songs. For example, the song “Miles Away” featuring Willie Watson. Through beautiful, slower paced violin melodies and layered vocal harmonies, the song tells the story of a reunion with an old friend. In painting the picture of distance, through the lyrics, the instrumentation and style of the song, a solemn plea is made to put aside reservations and tell your friends you love them. The song “Daughter of the Highlands,” perhaps the folkiest song on the album, features soft vocals and intimate instrumentation. This song is a love letter to a soldier’s partner. Tainted with the melancholy of boys never coming back from the war, this song is a splendid, elegiac love story, featuring impressive, introspective storytelling and adding an important depth to the rest of the album.
Jubilee really does it all. You can sing, dance and laugh along to the jovial, upbeat, swinging songs scattered throughout the album. Yet equally, you can dive deep to reflect and investigate the deeper meaning woven into so many tracks. This album begs for a stern appreciation toward the artistry of Old Crow Medicine Show, with expert musicianship, pure country and rich storytelling.
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