I never particularly criticized a musician for being too intimate, lyrically. It’s not my place to judge the content of their songs, and the truth is, a personable lyrical conscience can bring about an upper echelon of connectivity you may not have experienced with your typical lyrical foray. And with Blue October’s new album Any Man in America, you have, arguably, the most legitimately serious and personal account of a man’s life as its happening and as it it happened just the day before.
Any Man in America is a reference to lead singer Justin Furstenfeld’s issues with the courts in favoring his ex-wife in the ensuing divorce settlements. Lyrics specifically point out scenarios where the courts gave her favor in handling their daughter, Blue, and how it is the responsibility of any man in America to stand up for their children. The Flight (Lincoln to Minneapolis) goes as far to begin the song with a voice mail between the two ex-lovers where they discuss their daughter- with swooning violins backdropping the conversation. It is about as eerily realistic and poignant as you could ask for. Song titles like The Money Tree discuss the wife’s riding of his financial coattails, and the title track mentions the band’s only Billboard hit and how it was supposed to pay for his daughter’s college. All this and more awkward reality-bending tension litters this disc- and I have yet to discuss the actual, like, music.
The title track, Any Man in America, is easily the most interesting piece of music here. From many who are not familiar with the Blue October, they know 2006″²s Hate Me and write them off as a one-hit-wonder radio rock band. But the band has experimented with a whole collection of sounds and styles through the years (they released 3 albums before Hate Me ever became a hit) and with this new record, they can safely add hip-hop to the list. 3 minutes in you get a nice verse from some passive-aggressive unknown rapper- and I can’t even say it doesn’t fit. The song features lyrics that are downright nasty. So he says fuck the judge, fuck the courts, fuck the system, and his dysfunctional selfish wife. What seems to be a defiant relaying of a dramatic and sad situation can be seen as a teenage tirade against the establishment.
I can’t critique the lyrical content in the context of the situation, because I simply am not Justin Furstenfeld, or any of the other members who use their instruments to bring forward an emotional resonance. But I can critique how it affects the music, and as often as it makes the song more personable, it simultaneously makes it uncomfortable. I’m not sure what Furtsenfeld was going for exactly, but I can feel pity and sadness, as well as spine-tingling discomfort, and still feel pleased about the music.
Which brings me to the most important part- the melodies. Despite current and intimate lyrics, and an awkward jarring emotional state (angry to depressed, pity to taking down the system) I can’t help but be completely satisfied by the beauty and hook-friendly tracks all over this disc. The Feel Again (Stay) is existential, and a phenomenal piece of music, and You Waited Too Long is synth-heavy and aggressive, and a nice track towards the end of the album.
This isn’t really a concept record. But Blue October does experiment, as is par the course, and though the songs sometimes go on too long (only 1 song is under 4 minutes) the cohesiveness and the emotional discomfort and gorgeous melodies make for a unique experience and arguably the best album of their career. Though many have forgot Blue October this is fortunate, because few bands are making music this honest and truthful, while also employing swooping melodies and ear-worm hooks in so many styles of music. Did the world need this music? No. Did the fans need this music? Maybe. Did the group need this? Absolutely- and it drips from every verse.
9/10
The Best….
For the Love
Any Man in America
The Feel Again (Stay)
The Honesty