If life is about the journey and not the destination, then I think there’s a corollary that most people are defined by the fight and not the win. It certainly seems that this phase of Jarrod Dickenson’s life hews to that. His new record, Big Talk, is a winner, due in no small part to the battles detailed within.
It starts with Buckle Under Pressure, written on a long drive from Texas to Tennessee, when the anger over mistreatment by a record label manifested itself in a song mentally refined by the hours behind the wheel. Born to Wander has a similar thread, this time over the streaming industry where “a song ain’t worth a penny.” It’s also straight ahead rock and roll, no doubt taking some inspiration from Tom Petty, especially when Dickenson describes his musical passion as “running down a dream”. Less about the music business and more generally about getting out of a bad situation is the Southern rocker, With Any Luck.
Throughout the album Dickenson gets rhythmic help from collaborator Jano Rix, of Wood Brothers fame. In fact, Oliver Wood makes a vocal appearance on Home Again, a reflection of life on the road where “all that’s ever close to me is a thousand miles away.” It has that unmistakeable funky beat with percussion and keys, as does Long Hard Look about not judging a book by its cover, or in this case how you look in a mirror. Prefer to Lose has a swampier sound, resplendent with horns and saxophones. Bamboozled is a Tom Waits-meets-an-angry-Steve Poltz commentary on public discourse post the 2016 election.
The record finishes with Goodnight, showcasing Dickenson’s vocals, in a melancholy, but uplifting, tribute to his grandparents. After the trauma and tension of the earlier songs, it’s a fitting reminder that life can still be wonderful. It also serves to elevate Big Talk as more than just the musical rants of an angry young man and to prove life really is about the journey.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.