“Lonely as these days are long/ as dark as the night bird’s song/ strange way of living, let my heart cry/ I’m lonesome and too stoned to cryâ€- Andrew Combs, “Too Stoned to Cry”
Every once in awhile a voice comes along that is stunning in its capacity to evoke the spirit of Americana. Andrew Combs is one of those voices. Equal parts Gram Parsons, Richard Manual (The Band), and John Hiatt, Combs exists in the gothic American sweet spot somewhere in the midst of country, soul, and rock n’ roll. It’s one thing to have talent, but what makes Combs debut album Worried Man special beyond the ordinary is its maturity. You really aren’t supposed to be this good on your debut. Here are my 5 Likes/Dislikes for Worried Man.
1. DISLIKE- Why on earth didn’t Mr. Combs sleep out on Emmylou Harris’s door step until she agreed to duet with him on “Please, Please, Pleaseâ€? On several songs Combs conjures up the ghost of the immortal Gram Parsons. None of these songs are more elegant than “Please, Please, Pleaseâ€, which, at least in my mind, begs for Mrs. Harris’s gorgeous background vocals. Don’t get me wrong, this song is still stunning, but I always want what I can’t have.
2. LIKE- Combs lives up to expectations. In 2010, Combs released an EP entitled Tennessee Time that was easily one of my favorite records of that year. Between the title track, “Too Stoned to Cryâ€, and a cover of “Dark End of the Streetâ€, I was hooked. I played the record so much that I figured the full length would cause at least some let down (a similar thing happened when the Alabama Shakes full length came out after their impeccable 4 song EP debut). Instead, we get a debut record on par with Chris Knight’s 1998 self titled debut.
3. LIKE- Combs diversifies his sound. The Tennessee Time EP kept things in a more folky-soulful vein. It was gorgeous, but the sound was unlikely to hold up over a full length. No worries, Worried Man has variety in spades. From the bluesy thump of “Big Bad Love†to the 70’s folk rock of “Runnin’ You Out of My Mind”, Combs keeps things consistently interesting. Furthermore, Combs’ backing band, who are ridiculously good in a kind of obscene manner, channel the spirit of perhaps the greatest American(a) band, The Band. Particularly on “Take It From Me†and “Why Oh Whyâ€, the band finds the ebullient raucousness of Levon and the Hawks at their finest.
4. LIKE- The inclusion of the standout “Too Stoned to Cryâ€. Combs could have included the entire Tennessee Time EP and I wouldn’t have held it against him. Instead, he opted for the inclusion of only a single song. Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to sing lines like “whiskey and wine and pills for the pain/ fast easy women and a little cocaine/ I’m walking the line between hell-bent and high/ I ain’t happy, just too stoned to cry†as much as possible.
5. LIKE- RIYL, old Stax 45s, the Sun sessions, spilling whiskey on sticky floors
About the author: Specializes in Dead, Drunk, and Nakedness..... Former College Radio DJ and Current Craft Beer Nerd