Now that they're no longer on a major label, Cracker can indulge themselves.
For some bands, this could be a problem, but a band as irreverent as Cracker
can benefit from a little room to move, since that means they can toss
off an album like Countrysides without having to justify why they're doing
a collection of sloppy, rowdy country covers, or having to make excuses
that it's something more than just a fun record. Because that's what Countrysides
is -- a simple collection of eight raucous covers of the band's favorite
country tunes, with the rowdy, vulgar anti-Virgin Records story-song "Ain't
Gonna Suck Itself" acting as the grand finale. This is honky tonk
played by a bunch of drunk wiseasses. Sometimes, the smirk is a little
too heavy, but usually the band is having such a good time it's easy to
give in and join the festivities. Only Merle Haggard's "The Bottle
Let Me Down" and Ray Wylie Hubbard's "Up Against the Wall Redneck
Mother" (and possibly Hank Williams Jr.'s "Family Tradition")
are well-known; the rest are favorite album tracks from outlaws and alt-country
singers, and they're all given the same appealingly shambolic treatment.
While it's true that this is ultimately just a covers album -- even though
"Ain't Gonna Suck Itself" is a really good vindictive joke and
one of David Lowery's best recent songs -- it is also true that it's more
flat-out fun than anything Cracker has done in nearly ten years. And frankly,
that's a welcome change -- if they can keep this spirit on an album of
originals, they'd have a hell of a record on their hands. With this, they
just have a hell of a good time, and that's more than enough.
(by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All
Music Guide)
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