Bong rips chased by shots of brown liquor are the hallmark of a cowboy’s cure for depression, and in the new song “American Dream” from The Tennessee Werewolves, it’s the catalyst for an entire soundtrack fit for country buffs everywhere this year. Lyrics are the main medium through which this band will contextualize the feeling behind “American Dream,” but if you listen closely enough you’ll start to hear plenty of textural and tonal elements indicating as much emotion as any string of words ever could. The Tennessee Werewolves aim to smoke us out in this single and its video, and though it’s not as psychedelic as other alt-country tracks have been this fall, it’s definitely as stony in all the right ways.
URL: https://www.tennesseewerewolves.com/
The lead vocal here makes the lyrics feel honest and endearing without having to put too much panache into the presentation of the narrative, which is to say that camp and bombast of all kinds have been left out of the equation entirely for this performance. The worst thing The Tennessee Werewolves could have done with “American Dream” would have been to put more pressure between the instruments and their singer – in this instance, they create sparks together rather than friction.
In the music video for the song, the band makes a point of demonstrating their ability to play with lush imagery while still staying down to earth in their overall delivery, and I think it’s a fair mixture of components that together make a really interesting depiction of who The Tennessee Werewolves are in 2020. They’re definitely not trying to blend into the background, but at the same time it would seem as though they’re finding a comfortability with the spotlight that will be required if they hope to ascend from the underground to the mainstream level at any time in the future.
This is definitely the lustiest country vocal harmony I’ve heard in the past month, and while I don’t want to say that it’s the biggest reason to check out “American Dream” as soon as possible, it’s definitely reason enough. Every bit of the charm here is organic and sourced from somewhere other than a mixing board, and as sad as it is for me to admit as a fan of traditional country music, that makes a single like this one kind of a rarity in the times we live in today.
I’ve got a good feeling about the future of The Tennessee Werewolves after taking interest in their most recent release, and if they’re able to advance the basic concepts that make “American Dream” an interesting listen even after a couple of spins, I don’t doubt they’ll find a path to the FM side of the dial a lot sooner than some of their more commercially-minded peers will. It’s an ironic fact that by not chasing the limelight this crew will probably find it, and there’s evidence supporting their creative prospects in this track and those that join it on The Tennessee Werewolves’ debut album of the same name.
John McCall