One of the things I find so intriguing about music is how an artist, citing the same influences as their peers, can nonetheless produce a totally unique sound. Current Nashville residents Adrian + Meredith exemplify that on their latest album, Bad For Business. Listing unsurprising inspirations like Bruce Springsteen, Nina Simone, and Aretha Franklin, the couple manages to turn out a style that might be what alt country would be like today if it had been born in Green Bay instead of St. Louis.
The title track feature sassy horns and Meredith’s fiddle in gypsy mode to comment on how truth and integrity have become quaint ideas in America. DOA is a fun number that’s half surf punk and half movie soundtrack. It prescribes the idea you should enjoy life now because some day you could end up DOA. Adrian does Balkan rap on Too Far, with its wonderful metaphorical reference to “there’s a hole in my boat where the shame gets in.”
The 3 last tunes bring the record to a strong finish. Who Stole the Keishka is a live crowd favorite about a missing sausage. Chalk is the most serious song on the album. Adrian exercises some vocal restraint in an observation about how social media redefines our world so often that permanence has no meaning. Valley View showcases Meredith’s singing in a traditional Appalachian folk song celebrating how immigrants have improved life for everyone else. And in true A+M style it finishes with a square dance instrumental.
Adrian + Meredith color outside the lines of the mainstream musical charts. So you’re unlikely to hear them on popular podcasts or playlists. But for those of you who relish taking something old and making it something new, Bad For Business is going to be a great discovery.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.