The one thing I love about the Red Dirt country music scene, is that it’s not confined to one sound.
In fact, it’s exactly that… more a “scene,” as opposed to a “sound.”
And there’s one band who has been who’s been near the top of the genre for years and years now, and that’s Jason Boland & the Stragglers.
We had the pleasure of having Jason on the podcast this week (coming soon) in conjunction with the release of his stellar (or perhaps, interstellar) new album, The Light Saw Me, the most unique project of his long and successful career.
It’s a concept album about a Texas cowboy living in the late 1800s, who is abducted by aliens and dropped off 100 years in the future. With themes of love, loss, meaning and purpose, takes a sci-fi approach to exploring some of life’s deepest questions:
But according to Boland, it’s all about love:
“The Light Saw Me aims to highlight our lack of ultimate control over our narratives. So much of what happens in our lives seems to choose us in spite of our grand plans.
The deeper meaning of the material is ‘meaning’ itself. When faced with the stoic realities of our collective fate, love is the source of the power that can keep us going.” ”
Not to mention, the album was produced by singer/songwriter Shooter Jennings, who’s recently turned in Grammy-winning projects with Tanya Tucker and Brandi Carlile, as well as phenomenal albums with American Aquarium and Jaime Wyatt.
He also discussed what it was like to produce such a distinct album, one he calls the “magnum opus” of their career:
“Jason is one of my dearest friends and, in my opinion, one of the smartest and coolest dudes I know.
This album isn’t just another album from Jason & The Stragglers. It’s a magnum opus of the highest creative order, which in turn I take as a very serious honor to be able to be a part of its inception.”
Needless to say, this album is exactly what music should be… thought-provoking songwriting featuring compelling storytelling and incredible imagery. Not to mention these boys can jam a country song with the best of them. If you were looking for sci-fi country without sacrificing the “country” part, look no further.
You have to listen to the album from the beginning to the end to really appreciate it, but nevertheless, here’s a few standouts for me:
“A Tornado & The Fool”
“Here For You”
“Restless Spirits”
Originally written by Red Dirt pioneer Bob Childers.