Due West – “I Get That All The Time”
Rarely does a new act from one of country’s indie labels impress as anything other than irrelevant, but Nine North Record’s new male harmony trio Due West breaks with “I Get That All the Time,” a surprisingly strong track that sounds like a sure bet.
“I Get That All the Time” is feel-good country fare for the Focus on the Family crowd, a smooth blend of Emerson Drive and Richie McDonald that finds lead singer Tim Gates making a surprisingly gripping debut. His voice has a richness and expressiveness that surpasses Drive’s Brad Mates, although his performance here comes off as more than a bit schmaltzy.
The song is a story about resisting temptation and finding joy and strength in life’s “little moments” (kids screaming, dinner burning, etc), calling love “the world’s best kind of drug.”
Of course, in typical contemporary country fashion, it’s as safe and clean around the edges as it can be. The song’s first verse details an encounter with a backwards baseball cap-wearing drug dealer; it’s a heavy-handed scene that makes it sound like the writers have never actually walked on the hard side of the road. Drug dealers, after all, don’t approach you and open up their jacket to show off their stash–you could be a cop, or someone looking to rob them at gunpoint. Drug dealers do not act like faux Rolex hawkers.
Call me nitpicky, but this is an issue of authenticity; The scenario here is too far-fetched to feel anywhere close to real. Likewise, in the second verse a cotton-dressed seductress sits down next to the singer at some undisclosed public location and brushes her hand across his knee, offering him “the best night of [his] life.” Is this woman a hooker? If she’s not, it’s a ridiculously awkward statement (what woman actually hits on a man like that?). If she is a hooker, she’s abnormally aggressive and open about her intentions.
The song’s writers have worked so hard to build these scenes that the scenes feel artificial. Ultimately, however, that fact does little to undermine the lyrical payoff. This song is meant to speak to a specific audience, and that audience is not particularly interested in the accuracy of the temptations presented. Whether or not this explains how drug dealers and hookers actually act matters little, except to those of us who would like to see lyrics that treat us like we’re capable of paying attention to details.
With that in mind, “I Get That All the Time” achieves what it sets out to do–it’s touching, and its sentiment it honest, even if the path it takes is full of contrived twists and turns.
This may not satisfy the progressive-leaning crowd, but it’s hard to see “I Get That All the Time” as anything less than a hit with fans of radio country–it touches all the right nerves, hits all the right notes, and does so in a way that is generally more well-constructed than its peers. In that regard, this is a highly impressive indie debut from a group that may just have the chops to carve out a space for themselves at radio.
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April 24, 2009 at 9:47 am Permalink
Four years ago, I was in school in Cookeville and would come home on fridays and eat dinner with my parents. We would go to The Alabama Grill in Opry MIlls because there was a band playing there. That band was Due West..
I love this song, even with its heavy handed scenarios. I would be willing to say that you are right, these guys have probably never walked on any dark side of any road. But, they are very talented, and actually pull off the same harmonies live as they do on record, and sadly these days, thats a huge plus.
April 24, 2009 at 10:05 am Permalink
Could this be another Heartland?
I’ll be interested to hear the full album.
April 24, 2009 at 10:17 am Permalink
Reason #54 on why my life would never make a good country song: I have never been propositioned in public by a hooker or a drug dealer. Or a drug-dealing hooker.
April 24, 2009 at 10:54 am Permalink
You’ve obviously never been to a Grateful Dead show where “drug dealers” ask you if “you want something to get you high” often.
April 24, 2009 at 11:09 am Permalink
I like it.
April 24, 2009 at 12:02 pm Permalink
Jim, I get your point. But isn’t “the Focus on the Family crowd” a tad harsh? Surely there are folks out there who would identify with the singer without being part of that group.
April 24, 2009 at 12:39 pm Permalink
“I Get That All the Time” is feel-good country fare for the Focus on the Family crowd, a smooth blend of Emerson Drive and Richie McDonald…
This made me laugh because my Dad’s a Focus on the Family partisan and one of his favorite songs is “My Front Porch Looking In.” True story.
April 24, 2009 at 4:34 pm Permalink
CMW, Your dad sounds like a really cool guy! (lol)
“Due West” are way too “Emerson Drive” for me. E-D makes my skin crawl but these guys only make me itch, so I do find them preferable. For bands with compass directions in their name I think “One Flew South” sounds more interesting than these guys.
Being that the blokes aren’t very good looking and are on a tiny label, I give the odds of this song scoring big at Top 40 country radio at 1 in 10…
April 24, 2009 at 10:17 pm Permalink
Rick, I agree–a similarity to Emerson Drive is not plus.
Schmaltzy, and worse, so unorginal! Bleh.
April 24, 2009 at 10:43 pm Permalink
I do like the song, but I was curious to see the reaction it would get from other people. After seeing how poor the reaction seems to be, Im wishing they had gone with another song.
April 25, 2009 at 11:17 pm Permalink
I like it. Starts off really awkwardly, but strong vocals, pretty good production, and a nice idea with the lyrics. Thumps up :)
April 26, 2009 at 10:04 am Permalink
It’s to Emerson Drive for me too.
April 27, 2009 at 2:53 pm Permalink
These guys released an eight-track EP a year or two ago and it was solid. Their sound on it had shades of Diamond Rio in it.
April 27, 2009 at 4:21 pm Permalink
“Drug dealers, after all, don’t approach you and open up their jacket to show off their stash”
Um, it happened to me, but it was in Berkley, CA, where I suspect it’s more of a ‘public service’ than a crime. :)
April 28, 2009 at 9:53 am Permalink
Due West is similar to the old Lone Star which is what Scott Borchetta has done with Emerson Drive.
Emerson Drive’s new music is like that of the old Lone Star, there is still a niche for that Ballad Music. Scott Brochetta does a good job of ruining things for artists and bands. Emerson Drive will get locked down as a ballad band similar to what happened w/Lone Star. Did Brochetta help, ED? Yes some but he has locked them down as a ballad band. His only concern is Taylor Swift, he will continue to ruin careers of Danielle Peck, Adam Gregory and Trisha Yearwood.
Back to Due West…They are a boring Ballad Band. Compare to Heartland…one and down, Lone Star ..ballad band…Richie left now NOTHING, and finally Emerson Drive..now a ballad band that will be the new Lone Star of old.
Due West will not be a hit nor will they ever tour with the big 5.
As usual Jim Malec is wrong!
April 28, 2009 at 11:24 am Permalink
I wonder if any of the DW guys have ever had the Red, White and Pinkslip blues?
April 28, 2009 at 1:41 pm Permalink
Jimmy Mac – You called these guys “another boring ballad band”, but I’m curious as to whether or not you’ve heard any of their other material or own their debut EP.
I’ll be the first one to admit… I’m not a fan of most ballads. I like something rockin’ that I can roll down the windows to and crank up real loud. DW has plenty of that material in their library, I can promise you this.
June 25, 2009 at 7:22 pm Permalink
I agree with Dustin J. If any of you have not heard the rest of what Due West has to offer you are missing out. They have music that you can roll down your windows and jam out to. Plus like what was said before they sound just as good in real life as they do with the edited recorded stuff that most people (like Taylor Swift) have. Just give Due west a little time and listen to all that Due West has to offer and you will all take back what you said I can Promise you that.
June 25, 2009 at 7:29 pm Permalink
The thing that kind of frustrates me about this song is it feels like I’ve heard the homeless man thing too many times in too short of a time span. I just think certain scenarios in songs need to be spaced out over time. “Almost Home” by Craig Morgan is still undoubtedly my favorite. Craig Morgan may have one of the best country voices in modern times.
August 23, 2009 at 12:14 am Permalink
o my gosh!!!!!! your song i get that all the time is so amazing!!!!! ilove the music video to!!!!lol.
October 2, 2009 at 4:39 am Permalink
I saw these guys in person in Idaho, they literally stuned the whole crowd, the song I get that all the time is amazing but is by far not their best work. It’s yet to come, see them in person and you will come away a DUE WEST Lover and fan forever.
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