Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher

So, Tennessee Pusher, the latest effort from Old Crow Medicine Show is coming out next week.  I've been listening to this CD for the last couple of months and it still hasn't grown on me like I'd hoped it would.  To say the album is a huge disappointment wouldn't be correct, but, I am disappointed in the album.

After releasing their first two albums with the producing wizardry of David Rawling the Old Crows decided to go with legendary producer Don Was on this album.  Sure, Was has produced some of the all-time greats like Dylan and The Stones--but this album feels like he didn't really get to the meat of what Old Crow really is--and Americana string band.  I'm sure that OCMS was ready to step out in a little bit of different direction musically.  But, the songs don't feel like Old Crow songs.

The album itself is more in a country direction.  This isn't such a bad thing, it's just different and I wish they would've had more of the fiddle and banjo in the mix.  Most of the songs feel over produced and not as "earthy" as previous efforts.  The Old Crow boys did most of the writing on this one and stayed away from the traditional material they had done on OCMS and Big Iron World.  The problem with this is that they tried to make their songs sound like the more traditional songs they had cut their teeth on and didn't quite pull them off.  "The Greatest Hustler of All" is one of their songs that doesn't quite reach their it's full potential.  I do like this song, but at seven minutes long it could really should have been kept to three minutes.  It's in the tradition of old story song, but, it gets kinda tedious around the four minute mark. 

The high point is the opener "Alabama High-Test." It follows in the boys tradition of them ol' drug songs.  So, it should be a good one for all the hippies out there who really like songs like "Cocaine Habit Blues."

I know I haven't really been over the top with liking the album, I do, but I'm just not as impressed with it as I have been their first three efforts.  Who knows, maybe it will grow on me with more listens.  Or, maybe it will an album that I only like a few choice cuts.  Either way, I'm still a supporter of OCMS and would've bought the album anyway.  I can be a homer at times.  

MP3:  Old Crow Medicine Show - Caroline

MP3:  Old Crow Medicine Show - Methamphetamine