Country-Rock Rising Legends Ladybird Return With 'Clementine'; Taylor Swift Gets Panned, Zach Bryan Goes Big, And More
This week on Discologist, guest-host Philip Basnight (Broke Royals / DC Rock History Podcast) joins and Kevin to talk about Clementine, the latest country-rocking instant-classic from Milwaukee’s Ladybird. But first we’re discussing Taylor Swift’s latest, who a record-setting concert attended by over 110K people is really for, and more.
Featured Album
Clementine
Ladybird
Barely a year ago, Milwaukee country-rock outfit Ladybird crashed onto the scene with Amy Come On Home. Amy was listeners’ first introduction to chief songwriter Pete McDermott’s vision of a “Midwestern South”, a universe steeped in musical tradition (think ’90s alt-country/Drive-By Truckers) and populated with stories and characters that felt familiar, yet just askew of the world we live in.
On Clementine, the now five-piece (with Will Hansen, aka Old Pup, officially joining on pedal steel) expands that universe — and the richness of their storytelling — to deliver an instant classic along the lines of Wilco’s A.M. or Old 97’s Too Far to Care. Part of that comes from a sharper focus on (lost) love songs — there’s a genuine sweetness to these protagonists, even when they recognize they may be screwups — injected with a slightly more refined sense of humor.
While not as immediately riotous as “Short King Shuffle” (Amy Come On Home), “Famous Band”, in which McDermott lays out his aspirational path to mega-stardom, is as guffaw-worthy hilarious as it is a biting critique of the modern star system. Tracks like “Pittsburgh,” “Lapis Buckle,” and “Old Fashioned” fuse heartbreak with twang as effortlessly as any of the Country greats ever did. And on “Redneck Repent,” a wry, speak/sing walk through the life of a hapless, harmless drunk, Ladybird reaches for — and achieves — true greatness in song.
Drive-By Truckers, arguably Ladybird’s biggest influence, created worlds like this early on. It’s what makes records like Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day, and The Dirty South so enduring. Ladybird is now on track to pull off the same trick. But where the Truckers’ universe often dwelled in the seedy, dark underbelly of the modern South, Ladybird leans toward the light on Clementine, granting their subjects — and their songs — some grace, on the off chance that they may someday soar. — Kevin
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