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Product Details
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| 1. The Late Great Golden State |
| 2. No Such Thing |
| 3. Fair to Midland |
| 4. An Exception To The Rule |
| 5. Population Me |
| 6. Stayin' Up Late (Thinkin' About It) |
| 7. Trains And Boats And Planes |
| 8. If Teardrops Were Diamonds |
| 9. I'd Avoid Me Too |
| 10. The Back Of Your Hand |
Late Great Golden State has a nice retro feel to it especially in the backup singers -- the sound and style match the lyrics' feel of being out of place in time. I especially enjoyed the bright pedal steel and brisk drumming.
No Such Thing is bouncy and danceable, but has a sardonic undertone with Dwight's broad accent: "There's no such thaaaang as me and you". It's a hurt reaction to the sting of love denied, masquerading as a snappy little tune.
Fair to Midland gave me a whole new reason to fall in love with Dwight's voice... singing in his deeper register, the vocals are rich and grave, and at points balanced by a lovely mandolin & pedal steel counterpoint. The straightforward singing and slow pace make this song deceptively simple, but the lyrics are full of imagery.
Exception to the Rule could be subtitled "The Pessimist Puts On Rose-Colored Glasses" ... and the lyrics are classic Dwight, tight and complex with internal rhyming. Very nice keyboard bit in the middle.
The title track, Population Me, rendered me speechless for awhile and I think it may be one of the best things Dwight has ever done in the heartbreak genre. With a hard-edged voice, he gives us the bleak view of newly departed love from very bitter eyes - a man trying to come to grips with loss and perhaps his own part in it. And the musical construction is a marvel: After a spare start, layers of instruments are added to the first chorus, complete with a tuba that recalls a New Orleans funeral band. It peels back to banjo only, then adds a single drum and a muted, sarcastic, mocking trumpet. The second chorus builds to a new peak and then slowly the song deconstructs as it wanders off, shaking its head in regret.
Staying Up Late Thinking About It has a much more cheerful sound that belies the topic: the futility of trying to stop thinking about person you've lost when their absence makes them painfully present in everything around you.
Trains and Boats and Planes gives us yet a third distinct singing voice in a hillbillied up version of an old song that I remember as sad and atmospheric. The fiddle makes a nice appearance, at times sounding like a train whistle, and knits together the song's conclusion with the mandolin and banjo.
If Teardrops Were Diamonds is spare, melancholy and elegant. Not really a duet, Dwight and Willie emphasize the theme of loss and separation by trading vocal lines instead of actually singing together. The lyrics are lovely: "If heartaches were rubies... you might begin to understand the price love has to pay for being wrong."
I'd Avoid Me Too starts off with a rising vocal line that sounds like Elvis in the Sun Records days. Though the words are humorously self-deprecating and hold real emotion at arm's length, the song is grounded in a roadhouse hipshaking rhythm, with the baritone guitar bending notes deliciously.
Back of Your Hand, written by Greg Lee Henry, may be most familiar since it's been shown on music TV. With its graceful swelling strings and pleading lyrics, it's an uncharacteristically direct address to a lover who has turned away from love. Those who have heard only this song as a single may be surprised by the stylistic range this album covers, but I hope they will stick with it.
Bottom line: Dwight remains an enormously talented and highly original artist with a passion for music that rings true on every cut.
The album clocks in at just over 30 minutes, brief by today's standards, but more artists should take note of this move. Critics will say he needed more, but I disagree. He keeps the music moving and weaving, ending the album at the right time before the listener starts looking for the skip button on the CD player. Too many artists stock an album with 12 or 14 tracks, usually four of which are throwaways. Not the case with "Population Me". From the opening "The Late Great Golden State" which has a nod to the sound of the Eagles to the powerful and standout track "The Back of Your Hand", this album works like a continuous song, and when its over, you feel like you have to listen to it again it went by so quick. The title track is a great nod to the traditional country sound of yesteryear, but with a Yoakam twist and musical building that compels the listener to hit repeat. The duet with Willie Nelson is classic, and the other songs all fulfill the meandering and varied sound of this album.
The album doesn't have a "bad" song, and in fact, all are quite strong and interesting. Yoakam's vocals are simply exquisite, and with the strong musicianship with them, the sound is a satisfying country and western romp that is seriously lacking in today's C&W radio format. From powerful ballads, tear-in-your-beer diatribes, to upbeat driving melodies, this album delivers--and in classic Dwight Yoakam fashion. To anybody who loves Dwight already, you will not be disappointed. To anybody looking for a new country album with a variety of sounds and themes, get "Population Me". It far outclasses anything on the country dial today.
The other seven tracks are all Yoakam originals. Standouts include the upbeat "No Such Thing," the toe-tapping "An Exception to the Rule," the heartache of "I'd Avoid Me Too" and "If Teardrops Were Diamonds," a gorgeous duet with Willie Nelson, puncuated with Gary Morse's weeping pedal steel.
If there is any criticism to be leveled at Yoakam's debut release for Audium Records (after more than a dozen albums for Reprise), it's the brevity of the album. At ten songs and just under 32 minues, it is short. But you can't argue with the quality. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
