Mixing elements of country, pop and rock music together isn’t a new idea nor something that anyone can deem a modern concept by any measurement, but when Corey Stapleton & The Pretty Pirates brew up their new single “Western Son,” it definitely sounds like an unfamiliar and fresh combination perfect for the fall season. “Western Son” dismisses the very idea of puritanical country songwriting in the name of celebrating the rich fabric of crossover music, and while it’s not the only track of its kind trending on both sides of the dial at the moment, it’s one of the first that I’ve listened to this November to really grab my attention – and keep it – for longer than an afternoon.
The swing is in this song much as it would be a classic western tune, but it’s not blown up beside the lyrical lashing at all; contrarily, I lie that Stapleton himself is leading the groove with the cadence of his verses rather than relying on the drums to do all of the heavy lifting for him. You can tell that he grew up on a lot of pop/rock in addition to the western standards that shaped his style of melodicism, and relative to what some of the other throwback country players I’ve been listening to lately have been doing, his is certainly a more daring – and unabashedly focused – rendition of an iconic model by leaps and bounds. I can see where critics can fall in love with this and longtime country lovers unconvinced by newcomers would really appreciate what he’s trying to accomplish.
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These guitar tones are amazing and mixed as to feel as much like a live performance as possible, and from where I sit the only thing bigger and more important to this piece is the vocal that Stapleton is putting down ahead of the beat. When he sings, it’s as though he were always meant to be beside a guitar under the spotlight of a big stage, and try as you might I don’t believe you’re going to find another singer/songwriter in the country scene today who has a firmer grip on his potential than this man does here. The Pretty Pirates are doing him plenty of favors, but don’t get it twisted – this is Stapleton’s show and Stapleton’s show alone.
A lot of ground gets covered in “Western Son” this November, but if you’re thinking that this means Corey Stapleton & The Pretty Pirates are condensing just for the sake of getting something to the people as quickly as possible, you couldn’t be any more wrong. Quality and intricacy are two objectives that this group of musicians takes more seriously than the status quo calls for, and as long as they’re making music together, I think this is going to remain the case. There’s a lot of good music coming out of Nashville in 2021, but if you want something totally unblemished by the commercial end of this industry, check out what Stapleton is putting out in “Western Son” sooner than later.
Chadwick Easton