If you have yet to listen to Pony Bradshaw‘s new record, it should immediately be added to your to-do list.
For quite some time now, Pony Bradshaw has been one of the most underrated singers and songwriters in the country music world. In his previous records from this 3-part series, Calico Jim and North Georgia Rounder, Pony Bradshaw perfectly intertwined folklore tales of North Georgia and Appalachia with literally device-style writing that tells a complete story through each track on the album. After the release of North Georgia Rounder I wasn’t sure how Bradshaw would be able to top it when he announced the third installment of this record series, but somehow he’s done it again.
Last week, Bradshaw released Thus Spoke The Fool, which perfectly tied a bow on top of this prolific storytelling journey. Although it’s not typically Bradshaw’s motive to play the singles game, he did give into industry practice a smidge and dropped two singles leading up to the record’s release, which was the perfect sampling for what was in store. “Ginseng Daddy” and “The Long Man” poetically detailed two stories from the region, highlighting characters that the population believes in, a common theme throughout the rest of the album.
“Morning folks. My new record, ‘Thus Spoke the Fool,’ is out today. I’m very proud of this one and feel it complements its two predecessors, ‘Calico Jim’ and ‘North Georgia Rounder,’ but also finishes a thought, adds a full stop to a theme or idea. I couldn’t get it all done in one record so it became three.
Thank y’all for hanging in there and staying interested in a mess of songs about North Georgia and Southern Appalachia.
A very niche subject. I believe the more specific you are in your writing the more rich and vibrant the characters and stories become. But also the specificity can alienate. I hope y’all can get to the universality that sits right underneath all the vernacular and culture I’ve used as my artistic metaphor.
Details for purchasing and streaming in my bio. Thanks to my band and all who worked on this record and the previous two. It’s all connected. We’re all connected…. Thus Spoke the Fool.”
Each song on this album is beyond thoughtful and perfectly aligns with the other twenty tracks of the North Georgia trilogy. From tracks like “¡Viva Appalachia!” which highlights the feelings of being uprooted and needing to resettle, and “Housebroke,” which details the family traditions found in the region:
“We’re gonna have us a fish-fry in heaven
I swear we’ll all be high-stepping
And carrying on just like an old mountain wedding
Ripped from the past where the muscadine sings like god
Body and soul.”
For me, the standout track from Thus Spoke The Fool is the last song, “Rebel.” The melody captivates the listener from the first notes, and the powerful lyrics accompany it, striking a deep chord. The lyrics highlight wanting to carry these traditions, stories, and the roots of North Georgia from generation to generation, following in the footsteps of his “Rebel” father.
“Daddy, when I grow up
I want to paint my portrait true
Daddy, when I grow up
I want to be a rebel like you
From hell to breakfast man cuts him a path
To his long home over yonder, east of the tracks
I’ve come to see the country not to make good time
Hang you a horse thief, hang you a card cheat or two.”
Pony Bradshaw is the definition of an artist, and one of country music’s most prolific storytellers. Listening to this album top to bottom makes you feel as though you’ve read a novel, rounding out the celebration of this region that Bradshaw holds so closely to his heart. Pony Bradshaw does not miss.
Check out some of our favorites.
“¡Viva Appalachia!”
“Young Eudora”
“In The Cinnamon Glow”
“Rebel”