Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, the leading muses of the DBTs, are starting to both show and feel their age. On “English Oceans,” the band’s tenth studio album, the unwise transition from a “rock” band to a “song” band continues. Where weak spots on early DBT records could be overlooked due to momentum and energy, now every composition stands alone. This is an album about bruising regret, pensive remembrances, and inevitable loss.
The record kicks off in fine form – “Shit Shot Counts” is full of hot piss and swagger, with the boys sounding like the ‘Bama Rolling Stones. Within the DBT hierarchy, it’s more “Three Dimes Down” than “Zip City,” but it’s a sharp opener. “When He’s Gone” and “Primer Coat” establish the themes of lament and disappointment and do their job well enough. Then, the album falls apart.
“Pauline Hawkins” is an extended narrative that never gels as a song and then both songwriters contribute a one-dimensional political vignette. The album limps along with mid-tempo rockers that fail to launch and metaphors that seek substance but miss the mark. For the patient, or those that just want to skip to the goodies, the last three numbers get back on track. “When Walter Went Crazy” is thematically reminiscent of “The Fourth Night of My Drinking” (from The Big To-Do album) – we discover what happens beyond the breaking point. The ominous folk mood of “Autumn Air” strikes an honest note, but it’s the closer that matters. “Grand Canyon,” written about the passing of a friend, is the type of beautiful, honest, large-scale musical statement that made the Truckers a band that mattered. It is the only time on the album when it feels like the songwriting is based upon true inspiration instead of doing a job.
There are few artists or bands that have ever hit me as hard emotionally as the Drive-By Truckers did at their peak, but the peak is long behind them. In 2014, this band is Joe Montana in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform or Michael Jordan playing for the Washington Wizards. They have a glorious past and they continue to release records and tour because it pays the bills and it’s all that they know. However, I doubt that they will ever legitimately compete with their former selves again.
Grade – B
