Agricultural Tragic
New West, 2020
9/10
Though Corb Lund released an exceptional covers album last year, Agricultural Tragic is his first record of original material in half a decade, and he makes it worth the wait with 12 of his best tunes to date.
“90 Seconds Of Your Time” starts the listen and takes nearly 3 minutes of your time to drive home that Lund is well versed in rhythmic country sounds where rugged melodies aren’t in short supply, and “Old Men” follows with a shift into quieter territory as honky tonk swagger enters the atmosphere.
Halfway through, “Grizzly Bear Blues” moves and shifts with a bouncy, gritty spirit, while “Dance With Your Spurs On” is an aptly titled rural rocker that could get you two-steppin to the twang. “Never Had Horses” then finds itself covered in breezy melodies with a folk-rock angle that display superb song craft.
Lund ends the listen strong, with the rock’n’roll guitars of the rockabilly “Rat Patrol”, and “Tattoo Blues” exits the listen indeed knee deep in blues where poetic storytelling falls between the moments of spirited songwriting.
Lund is nothing if not consistent, and having reportedly spent much more time fleshing out this album, much like the 9 albums before this one, you can expect his hybrid Americana/country/folk/roots rock formula to remind you of all the rural rock legends, while still being quite original in its execution.
Travels well with: Reckless Kelly- American Jackpot/American Girls; Bobby Bare- Great American Saturday Night