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Blanket Music Cultural Norms
Hush Records
I have a theory that Chad Crouch’s Blanket Music is the musical equivalent of an Ira Glass piece from “This American Life.” Crouch delivers his songs in the same disarming and witty vein as Glass plays out his narratives, and both men have a kinetic energy that gives an edge to what each of them respectfully does, which is to give a running social commentary on modern American society in the most personable terms possible. Cultural Norms is the band’s third release, and its lofty goal of making the “Great American Album of our time” doesn’t miss the mark by all that much.
Track listing:
01 You Shouldn't Have Said That
02 Guernica
03 Back to the Grind
04 Keep the Prices Down
05 Solider's Story
06 Cats Corps
07 Press Conference
08 Just Us
09 I'm Fat
10 Filesharers Lament
11 Of Thee We Sing
12 Digital Pedestrians
Whether it’s the Dollar-store manager in “Keep The Prices Down” or the infantryman home on leave from Iraq in “A Soldier’s Story,” Crouch has a knack for getting under the skin of his protagonists and unraveling their tales while always keeping the bigger picture in focus. Touching on politically relevant events, Crouch does so with the grace of an experienced storyteller, never force-feeding his views down the listener’s throat, but rather allowing the stories to unfold and develop at their own pace. That he can show such restraint gives his songs an added depth that a more heavy-handed songwriter would miss.
Anchored by the super-tight rhythm section of Dave Depper (bass) and Greg Lind (drums), “Cultural Norms” runs the gamut of American popular music. Mixing blues, Motown and country with soul and jazz, “Cultural Norms” is a go-getter of a record. It’s both respectful of tradition and artistically ambitious in its range. By using all the major American musical forms, it’s as if Crouch is celebrating their cultural importance while simultaneously acknowledging their ultimate demise in an increasingly sanitized and crumbling American civilization. Crouch counters the seriousness of the subject matter with a sly sense of humor that shows itself in the music as much as in the lyrical content. The album offers a drollness that is hard to resist, and Crouch thankfully never stoops to just being a smart-ass.
Perhaps the album’s biggest obstacle lies in Crouch’s voice, which is a combination of Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes) and Stuart Murdoch (Belle and Sebastian), and is a bit of an acquired taste. It took a few listens before I settled down and got past it. Once I did however, the realization of how great these songs were was mind-blowing. A good comparison would be Wayne Coyne from Flaming Lips, whose voice also requires a little patience before you familiarize yourself with it and can move on to experience the whole brilliant package.
Cultural Norms is one of the best releases I’ve heard this year, and offers something for everybody. Peppered with jazzy horn sections, tasteful strings and guest appearances by The Decemberists’ Chris Funk and Jenny Conlee, it’s a must have for any serious music fan. It’s one of those albums that you can continually get something out of, and I’m still being constantly amazed by its originality and intelligence every time I spin it. I don’t know if Cultural Norms is the “Great American Album of our time,” as the 21st Century is still very young, but it’s certainly perched itself as the one to beat so far.
