CLEVELAND, Ohio – Brantley Gilbert is going to be – without a doubt – a mainstream country star, and the proof is in his new album, “The Devil Don’t Sleep.”
He resonates with young country fans, and not Showbahis just because he sounds almost exactly like fellow Georgian Jason Aldean, who had huge hits with Gilbert’s “Dirt Road Anthem” and “My Kinda Party.”
His songwriting style is exactly what the under-30 country fan likes – with shades of hip-hop (he WAS one of the progenitors of the “hick-hop” genre), Southern rock, alt-rock and even a bit of metal, with the screaming guitars and drums.
Put it this way: There’s more connection to Def Leppard than to Merle Haggard. But that’s what today’s fan wants, and he’s good at giving it to them.
Brantley Gilbert’s “The Devil Don’t Sleep”Valory Music
However — and this is nice to be able to say – there are vestiges of old-school country in his music. The opening salvos in “Devil” – “Rockin’ Chairs,” “The Ones Like Me,” “The Weekend” and especially the overly bro-country “Bro Code” – are pure mainstream country. It’s beer, bikini tops, short-shorts, tailgates and bonfires.
But there are saving graces. A song called “Baby Be Crazy,” while hardly delivered in The Hag’s morose tone, or anywhere close to a George Jones tearjerker, boasts a theme and lyrics that could be transported back to those days. Essentially, it’s a guy admitting he’s a jerk and always has been a jerk, but the girl to whom he’s singing is his one chance at salvation.
Salvation plays a role in the finale to the 16-tune album, too: “Three Feet of Water.” It is, as you might suspect, about baptism, and the wonder of leaving all those vices behind in such a shallow pool.
Gilbert’s sing-songy baritone works well on those tunes and others, including “Outlaw in Me” and the ode to an old biker, “We’re Gonna Ride Again.”
Not sure if it’s Gilbert or producer Dann Huff who should get the credit for the actual pacing of the album. Those “young country” tunes lead it off, and are just about guaranteed hits. Bet on those being a big part of the set list if and when Gilbert hits Blossom Music Center this summer. But it’s those second-half songs that show the possibility of longevity. Grade: C+
Brantley Gilbert
The Devil Don’t Sleep
Valory Music
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