Album Review: Pat Green – What I’m For
On “Footsteps of our Fathers,” the opening track of his latest album What I’m For, Pat Green incorrectly declares that he “Ain’t no deep theologer/No Ph.D psychologer.” Although the Texan’s lyrics are layered in the dusty sentimentalisms of a modern everyman, they are, at the same time, inquisitive and thoughtful, the product of an artist in the process of coming to grips with a complicated world.
An album thoroughly concerned with the exploration of the individual’s place in society, Green’s observations on What I’m For are often astute, and his advice is often pointed. In “Footsteps,” for example, Green implores us to “Rip a page out of ol’ Hank Williams hymnal/And have a little church right here tonight,” a poignant statement that encourages us to enjoy each other’s fellowship and to make every moment one of generosity and kindness, as opposed to waiting for some prescribed path to spiritual or social betterment.
It is a lyric, however, that walks a very fine line between what make’s Green’s writing good and what makes it, at times, very bad. Although as an isolated example it is a lyric that reads more as pleading than preaching, where What I’m For fails is in the moments when Green’s philosophizing turns to jaunty idealism, less concerned with observation or than its own tendency towards proclamations that border on pontification.
Even in the same song in which he successfully invokes a facet of the spirit of the deeply religious Hank Williams, Green’s writing can get lost in his own vision of how the world should be rather than how it actually is. It is in these moments that Green’s vivid lyrics turn to clichés riddled with high-and-mighty ambition, sometimes embracing near ridiculous levels of self-orchestrated majesty. In one passage, Green heavy-handedly describes his children as “the brother of my daughter” and “the sister of my son,” only to go on about leaving a “righteous path to follow”; epic language that belies the wisdom of his otherwise earthy approach.
What makes the album somewhat challenging to evaluate from a critical standpoint, then, is the fact that despite its more than occasional tendency to slip from that earthy wisdom into abstract morality, the songs themselves are succinct and tangible and generally work very well, even when they are overwrought. While it’s true that Green works far too hard to make that description of his children sound profound, the description itself is nonetheless, ultimately, somewhat profound–especially in the context of a song that refers to its listeners as “brothers and sisters.” “Footsteps of our Fathers” is about our responsibility to our children and to each other, and when Green calls the world a “crazy congregation,” he phrases that responsibility in language that rings surprisingly true.
Green has a unique knack for choosing language that makes us look at a common situation in an uncommon way, and the failure of a particular section of a lyric, from a technical standpoint, doesn’t necessarily negate the overall effectiveness of the song. In more than one instance, there is too much good at the core of the material on this album to be offhandedly dismissive. The album’s title track (another song that deals with self-definition and purpose within a social system), for example, will undoubtedly be harshly criticized by some for appearing to be a disjointed “list song”—a song that rattles off a series of images loosely tied around a particular theme.
Lyrics are “disjointed,” however, not because they appear literally unrelated, but because there is no apparent relationship between them which could reasonably cause the singer to be using them together to convey a particular point. A disjointed list song is one that embraces lyrics with no essential connection, or which makes awkward transitions between images, or which seems to be generally unconcerned with its own cogency. The problem we would have applying that criticism in this case is that “What I’m For” utilizes carefully selected imagery that, although dissimilar literally, is closely related thematically.
Although crackers in chili, fast food workers who can muster up a smile and boxers past their prime have nothing, in a topical sense, to do with each other, each one of these images help flesh out the character of the singer in “What I’m For.” This is a person who believes in tradition, humility and rooting for the underdog. Not only are these substantial and connected, they are quintessentially unique, written in a distinct and comfortable narrative voice.
But like “Footsteps of our Fathers,” “What I’m Far” stumbles on its own feet in several places; the second verse loses steam when it attempts to move beyond its earlier populism and instead offer up grand inspiration about the nature of world in general. When Green sings about “Turning off the TV and the getting off the internet” and “Learning all the words to the Gettysburg address,” the song becomes typical and saccharine.
There are a few too many of these moments of weakness on What I’m For. Although the songs still have considerable value, as a whole the album feels somewhat burdened by what appears to be a conflict between two artists: On one hand, Green is a keen and deft songsmith who isn’t afraid to say what he thinks. On the other hand, however, he often seems unusually bent on pleasing everyone, and on fitting the expected mold of a mainstream artist. The result of this Artistic Personality Disorder isn’t an altogether unsuccessful union, but it keeps what is a very good album from potentially being a great album.
And it does little help dispel the oft-levied criticism that Green has “sold out.” What I’m For is a Pat Green album that sounds a lot like a Keith Urban album, a showcase for the full collection of producer Dann Huff’s trademark studio tricks, specifically springy, perfectly-timed and ungodly-tight musical hooks that seem to serve little purpose other than to establish the songs as firmly within the mainstream framework.
To those who would offer that such a shift away from Green’s earlier Texas Country approach is a conscious, commercially-driven stylistic departure, there can be no satisfying counterpoint—because it is, more than likely, true. Indeed, What I’m For is essentially a full-on contemporary Nashville production, though it does have shades of an underlying grittiness (even if they are as minor as the utterance of the word “shit” or the inclusion of the artistically magnificent, brilliantly sparse “In This World,” one of the best songs of the year and the only solo-penned track on the disc).
To a certain extent, BNA is perpetuating this “sell out” line of criticism by releasing as singles the two weakest and most characteristically mainstream songs on the disc. “Let Me” is little more than a mediocre pop ballad thinly veiled as a country song, while “Country Star” is more than a bit confusing–can something be a parody when it so closely mirrors the negative image that a large group of individuals has regarding the song’s singer? “Country Star” finds its singer moving to Nashville because he’s “tired of playing coffee house gigs” and because he wants to be as big and rich as Big & Rich; it’s a song that seems too realistically plausible to really be funny, as it never reaches a level of absurdity that makes it clear that Green is roasting the Nashville establishment.
Elsewhere, much of the disc seems unnaturally optimistic, but even then it is worth noting that the bulk of this material is substantial in its own way. Green sounds like an artist who actually has something to say, and What I’m For accomplishes a level of artistic quality seldom tapped from the usual wellspring. This is mainstream, no doubt, but despite its faults it is an enjoyable, at times emotionally moving, disc that represents some of the most satisfying mainstream we’ve recently encountered.
Recommended Tracks: “‘In This World“, “What I’m For“, “In The Middle Of The Night.“
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February 23, 2009 at 9:00 am Permalink
Do I win an award for “Longest Album Review” ever?
February 23, 2009 at 9:24 am Permalink
I was hoping that Footsteps or Lucky would be the second single but I think that Country Star does have a chance to be a big radio hit.
People that have only seen him as the opening act for Kenny Chesney or other large artists are really missing out. There is no greater concert experience than a Pat Green show when he can play for 90 minutes. He always pours his heart out on stage and I’ve never seen him leave until he’s shaken the hand of or had his picture taken with his last fan. It’s no surprise that his fans really have a connection to him. With his new album, increased support from his label and the current Jagermeister Country Tour he’s headlining I think that 2009 can be a big year for him.
February 23, 2009 at 9:31 am Permalink
I was confined to about 100 words but came to pretty much the same conclusions. Good stuff, too bad about the list songs.
February 23, 2009 at 9:35 am Permalink
Long doesn’t necessarily mean better. I’m lucky that I can go into a little more detail here, but sometimes I prefer writing the 150s. It’s just a different style of reviewing.
February 23, 2009 at 9:56 am Permalink
There are too many self-indulgent themed lists created by the average Joe on Facebook and MySpace for me to ever consider “What I’m For” a better than mediocre song.
As for selling out, you don’t really need to look any further than the changes made to “Carry On” to realize that it’s true.
While I think there a couple of good to great cuts on the album, I wouldn’t give this more than 3 stars.
February 23, 2009 at 10:05 am Permalink
I agree. Very average three star album IMO. His best is still “Three Days.” I also enjoyed “Lucky Ones” very much.
February 23, 2009 at 10:23 am Permalink
All the artists and songwriters who think I’m too nitpicky about their music should come to this thread and see how much crap I get over a half a freakin’ star. If you think this is average, I’d like you to send me a list of the mainstream releases you’ve been listening to–they are better than the ones I’ve been getting. This may have some faults, but it’s above average at almost every turn.
February 23, 2009 at 10:28 am Permalink
This is a well-written review, and I agree that Pat Green does mainstream a lot more interestingly than some other folks. But I still find most of it too forgettable to give the album itself higher than 2 or maybe 2 1/2.
February 23, 2009 at 10:34 am Permalink
Also, I hardly think anyone has given you serious “crap” over the rating yet, Jim. :p
February 23, 2009 at 10:37 am Permalink
“Long doesn’t necessarily mean better.”
That’s what she said. Hey-o!
February 23, 2009 at 10:38 am Permalink
Are these references to “selling out” also jokes?
February 23, 2009 at 10:39 am Permalink
Everyone loves it when I slam the artists I’m supposed to slam, but when I come out in (moderate) support of an artist who is deemed critically unworthy, I (of all people) am accused of inflated ratings.
I have such a reputation for inflated reviews…
If I seem annoyed, it’s because I think there’s too much bias about Green for us to have a reasonable conversation about his music.
February 23, 2009 at 10:40 am Permalink
Jon–if you read the review I think you’ll see that if I’m implying that Green has “sold out,” I’m certainly not using the term with any kind of negative connotation.
February 23, 2009 at 10:41 am Permalink
I’m with you, Jim. I listened to this on a bus ride to Johnson City this weekend and really found it to be a pretty cohesive collection of songs.
Of course, it has some low points… but I agree that it was slightly above average on a sliding scale based on other mainstream releases.
February 23, 2009 at 10:52 am Permalink
I don’t know, the lyrics may be brilliant, but Huff’s production choices turn me off from delving much further into this album. I just can’t stand to listen to it, which is sad for me, as a completest, since I own the rest of his discography. I think I’ll be able to resist this one though.
February 23, 2009 at 10:54 am Permalink
“there’s too much bias about Green for us to have a reasonable conversation about his music.”
That’s fair, and I’ve thought about that some, too. But I’m among those who think he still made some very good music once he started “selling out,” and I still found most of this pretty unremarkable. Nothing really horrible, mind you – just very little that’s especially compelling, although a few tracks are growing on me (particularly “In This World,” which you were right to highlight).
February 23, 2009 at 10:59 am Permalink
I honestly don’t think that any better mainstream albums have been released yet this year, I’ll sadly agree.
I actually think this is a good and compelling review, even if I don’t arrive at the same conclusions. It made me go back and listen to some clips again, just in case my mind could be changed. I think you’re right that the first two singles were a problem for people who already claim that he’s sold out. Then again, it’s the first two singles that cemented my suspicion. Even though I felt that the albums after Three Days progressively “sold out”, there were still a few tracks in each of them that I liked. This is the first album that I can’t say that I truly like any of them.
February 23, 2009 at 11:03 am Permalink
Jim, I had Brady’s comment more in mind than yours. But I’ll add that the term has negative connotations built in, and as I suggested elsewhere, it rests on a belief that an artist is doing something other than what he or she would like to do (a/k/a believes in) in order to reap a commercial reward. As such, it necessarily carries a degree of judgment of the artist as a person (as opposed to a judgment of the artist’s art) that’s irremediably negative, and it also requires an insight into the artist’s intentions that ought to be based on something more than the artistic character of the work itself – which, as best I can tell, it rarely if ever is.
February 23, 2009 at 11:31 am Permalink
Whoa, Jim. I don’t think anyone anyone is giving you crap over your rating; I certainly didn’t mean to. I just disagree with your rating and would have probably given it less than 3 stars, but met you halfway, so it’s not based on “half a freakin’ star.”
If I seem annoyed, it’s because I think there’s too much bias about Green for us to have a reasonable conversation about his music.
Way to marginalize dissenting opinion. I gave a reasonable explanation for not thinking “What I’m For” is worthy of praise simply because the items are thematically connected.
I’ve liked some of Green’s material since he went mainstream and even like cuts on here, so my only bias is against the poor song choices; I don’t dislike the guy.
@Jon: no joking this time. I think it’s pretty difficult to argue that Green hasn’t sold out. I agree with you that the term has an implied negative connotation, but don’t agree that it’s a personal indictment so much as it is a judgment of their decision. If the term is based solely on the unknowable personal beliefs of the artist in question, then it’s basically useless.
February 23, 2009 at 11:40 am Permalink
I don’t mean to marginalize dissenting opinion, but let’s actually talk about “What I’m For.” I respect your opinion and your right to think it’s not good, but I feel like your criticism goes no further than “it’s a list song.” It seems very offhanded to compare this to what people upload to Facebook, when the quality of the writing exists at such a higher level than those songs.
If we want to say that no list song can be good because it is a thematically connected list song…that’s a discussion we could have. The reason I love “What I’m For” is because I think the list, in this case, works–the images are unique, stirring, and anything but cliche (although some of the underlying themes could be called trite).
If I’m marginalizing anything here, it’s this idea that a list song cannot be a good song. I mean, some list songs are written because they are easy. As a writer, I’m impressed by how difficult this must have been to compose.
February 23, 2009 at 11:52 am Permalink
“@Jon: no joking this time. I think it’s pretty difficult to argue that Green hasn’t sold out. I agree with you that the term has an implied negative connotation, but don’t agree that it’s a personal indictment so much as it is a judgment of their decision. If the term is based solely on the unknowable personal beliefs of the artist in question, then it’s basically useless.”
Well, yeah, that’s kind of my point. It basically *is* useless. And if it’s a judgment of their decision, then how does it significantly differ from arguing that artistic merit is inversely proportional to popularity? Do we need to deconstruct that one?!
But the personal beliefs of the artist with respect to why they make the kinds of artistic/commercial decisions they make aren’t unknowable; they’re just too rarely examined. I’m not sure why that’s so – whether interviewers aren’t interested in artists’ artistic processes, whether they think that their readers aren’t interested in artists’ artistic processes, whether they lack a good vocabulary or conceptual framework for posing the questions or what – but I think it’s hard to dispute the observation, especially with regard to artists who are perceived more as entertainers than artists. Personally, I would love to see more writers at least start from the proposition that any professional musician, even one whose music the writer doesn’t like, thinks “artistically” about the music he or she makes; in my experience, they always do, and what they have to say about is always informative.
Ironically, one case that I know of where we actually do have some reason to think that an artist “sold out” by recording something s/he didn’t like and didn’t want to sing resulted in what a lot of critics and fans think is one of the best country records ever. In fact, make that two – “Crazy” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Which to me underline the exceedingly limited usefulness of the concept.
February 23, 2009 at 12:14 pm Permalink
Has this really turned into an discussion over who can better determine whether or not it’s worth questioning whether an artist has sold out? Even though the review addresses the issue only to downplay the importance of the issue?
Really?
The term helps us understand how different groups of people relate to particular artists and particular music during particular periods. Its application may be, at any given time, correct or incorrect, but I’m not sure that makes it “useless.”
And I do think it has at least one practical application, as well–the departure from one artistic style to a lesser artistic style. If a visual artist is creating brilliant paintings, and then stops creating those brilliant paintings to instead create abstract, finger-painted splotches of color–at the exact time that abstract splotches of color happen to be the biggest selling style of artwork in the marketplace–it certainly appears to us that the artist in question has “sold out.”
But you’re right–we can’t know his or her inner desires. Maybe the artist in question has always loved creating abstract splotches and only their success has allowed them to make the leap.
February 23, 2009 at 12:33 pm Permalink
Hey Jim,
I often find myself thinking differently than you in a lot of cases but this is one we agree on (aside from “Country Star,” that is). I often do my reviews from a mainstream or radio context so it’s nice to see you do the same thing, more or less, here. I often don’t like to read overly ‘wordy’ reviews of singles (I think 100-150 words is more than enough for most singles) but album reviews it’s sometimes great to have write-ups like this. Well done.
February 23, 2009 at 12:33 pm Permalink
Great read and thanks for taking the time to write this review. I agree with your rating. This is a much better album than his previous two releases. I would put this one right up there with the Three Days album for sure. “In This World”, “In The Middle Of The Night” (gut-wrenching), and “Footsteps” are my three favorites from this album. As far as “Carry On” being re-worked for the album, it is pretty much how he does it at his live shows — been like that for several years! He always changes it up though and always had different versions of it. Same goes with a lot of his tunes from his earlier years.
There is nothing like this album out in the mainstream market. This is a very unique album. His first two releases from this album is a very smart decision. Not tunes that I would listen to but I can understand the reasoning behind it. The guy continues to open doors for the Texas Music scene and he remember his roots no matter when he goes. Pat Green is still Pat Green.
February 23, 2009 at 12:35 pm Permalink
Wow, Why didn’t I click preview on my post? Grammar police would (including me) will cringe.
February 23, 2009 at 1:00 pm Permalink
I don’t think all list songs are bad. I like Guy Clark’s “Hank Williams Said It Best” and Hank Snow’s “I’ve Been Everywhere,” which is even more pointless than “What I’m For,” but it has a way with the language that is something to marvel at every time you listen to it.
I don’t think no list song can be good because it is thematically connected (although I can see how I implied that with my Facebook comment), but the inverse of that isn’t true, either. Some of the images in “What I’m For” are very good, but really, the theme allows for a seemingly endless range of ideas, and other images throughout the song are pointless and lame. In the end, the good doesn’t outweigh the bad and I just think it could have been better. I don’t hold an extreme dislike for it, though.
Jon: “Well, yeah, that’s kind of my point. It basically *is* useless. And if it’s a judgment of their decision, then how does it significantly differ from arguing that artistic merit is inversely proportional to popularity?”
I’m not quite sure how you’re equating that with selling out.
February 23, 2009 at 2:16 pm Permalink
I enjoyed listening through it the first go around, but haven’t really come back to many of the songs… so I think ultimately it will be a pretty forgettable album.
February 23, 2009 at 2:40 pm Permalink
I have been a Pat Green fan from his early days, and while I am saddened he sold out, I still find him more interesting then other mainstream Nashville artists. I just don’t find him as interesting as when he was based in Austin.
And I will second that nobody puts on a live show like Pat.
February 23, 2009 at 7:34 pm Permalink
Wow, you guys must be really bored to devote this much verbiage to the review and discussion of this latest Pat Green album. Jim, I don’t think your ratings are consistently too high, whereas with Chris N. there is no question about it! (jk) I agree with the comments that mainstream country album releases thus far in 2009 have been fairly mediocre, so being at the top of the heap doesn’t mean a whole lot at this point. Will 2009 be the nadir of the average quality of country music album releases during this decade? Its likely since I don’t expect new releases from Ashton Shepherd, Sarah Buxton, or Joey + Rory due to poor Top 40 chart performance. Maybe Megan Mullins can come to the rescue! Oh well….
February 23, 2009 at 7:55 pm Permalink
Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban both have records in the pipeline, among others…
February 23, 2009 at 9:16 pm Permalink
And the award for most posts after his own review goes to, Jim Malec! Congrats Jim! Have you gone over 200 yet?
Thanks for the review. Lots of mixed feelings about it everywhere.
February 28, 2009 at 10:55 am Permalink
You know, I never listened to Pat Green before, but I saw this CD sitting on the NEW shelf at the library and figured I’d give it a shot. I, for one, DON’T think it sounds like everything else coming out of Nashville these days and I like it. I am a Keith Urban fan and I honestly don’t think it sounds at all like a Keith Urban record! I think it’s a good collection of cohesive songs, something I can pop in the car CD player and listen to over and over for a while. I get the feeling that Pat Green live is gonna sound a whole lot like Pat Green on CD, which appeals to me in this age when I can watch an awards show and think “oh, gosh, that’s what he/she REALLY sounds like?”
That said, I would have chosen different songs off the CD for the first two singles. Not that these were bad songs, but others were definitely stronger and more appealing and interesting.
By the way, I’ve only posted once or twice but I do read the blog daily and love reading all of your opinions. I even agree with some of them!
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