Little Big Town – “I’m With The Band”

I’ll be honest with you–I’m not 100% sold on Little Big Town yet. I know they have a Platinum record (The Road To Here), a Gold digital single (Boondocks), an ACM win, and two Grammy nominations–damn impressive numbers and accolades for this relatively new act– but I can’t shake the feeling that their constant vocal layering is often overwhelming and sometimes a bit gimmicky.

Even so, their latest, “I’m With The Band,” is a refreshing break from the monotony of so much of the rest of the Country format.

There’s something eerily familiar about this song (from their forthcoming, third album); its swampy, southern-rock undertones are (in a way) reminiscent of some of Skynyrd’s softer, more melodic music.

This holds true lyrically, as well; lines like, “Lord I was born with a suitcase in my hand/Livin’ in a life that few could understand/Sometimes it gets so confusing that I don’t know where I am,” hearken back to an era in which a musician’s life was mystified through their music–the story is told as though being in a band is both a blessing and a curse, a privilege and a burden.

It’s a smart and interesting perspective on the subject, and while I still haven’t made up my mind about the ability of Little Big Town to stick around for the long haul (is it all going to sound the same after a while?), I have to concede that “I’m With The Band” on this highly respectable effort.

Listen: Little Big Town – “I’m With The Band”