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By Kayceman
For years, Patterson Hood and his band Drive-By Truckers have been claiming to be more than just a southern rock band. Dating back to the 2001 release of their double-disc Southern Rock Opera, there has been little argument that the Truckers are one of rock music's most potent and powerful bands both in the studio and on the stage. But the albums that put them on the map (each one an instant classic) - Rock Opera, Decoration Day and 2004's The Dirty South - were clearly rooted firmly in the South. And although the band was working to dismantle common misconceptions of southern life - specifically, trying to enlighten folks on "the duality of the southern thing" - the music and the mindset have always been, without question, southern. But with the release of A Blessing and a Curse, the Truckers have finally put their money where their mouth is.
It's not that they have abandoned the soul of what has made them great; they have simply pushed their sound out from under the Mason-Dixon Line and crafted an edgy rock album that resonates regardless of region. The clear separation from what they've done in the past left many longtime fans (myself included) scratching their heads after the first spin. But after spending time with the 12 tracks on Blessing, it shows itself to be every bit as infectious and amazing as anything that has come before; it's just different – and that is something any fan of the band should damn well embrace. Mike Cooley's "Gravity's Gone" is etched from the country-blues of Creedence or Sticky Fingers-era Stones, and Hood's "Little Bonnie," a disturbing song about a cousin who dies young and a father who blames himself, is as eerie and heartbreaking as anything that's come before it. Jason Isbell's "Easy on Yourself" is an urgent rocker showcasing his remarkable growth as a songwriter, while his song "Daylight" finds Isbell crooning in a high register he's never even come close to reaching in the past.
Although the band has made the wise decision to broaden their sound, they have also very wisely retained certain properties of what makes them one of, if not the, greatest rock bands of the day. For example, while they have branched out in the content of the songs, Hood's songwriting obsession with dualities is clearly still in working order - just check out the title of the album if you need proof. And while there was a clear decision to not have an arching storyline or to tie the album into a grand statement, there is a common notion that weaves through Blessing. Just as we've seen on all of their albums, we find a great deal of consideration being given to mortality. If A Blessing and a Curse has a theme, it would be rumination on love and loss. But where in the past we have found the Truckers giving in and falling victim to the pain of life, on Blessing we find the band embracing hope and emerging victorious as Hood closes the session by proclaiming, "It's good to be alive."
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