Cuttin' Grass, Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions

A year after he indulged himself in the metallic prog-blues mock-opera of Sound & Fury, Sturgill Simpson abruptly shifted gears for Cuttin Grass, Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions, a collection of his old tunes performed in a traditional bluegrass style. Its possible that the global pandemic of 2020 influenced Simpsons change in direction, but its just as likely this was a way to reboot himself creatively after he left the major label Elektra for the indie Thirty Tigers. Either way, Cuttin Grass, Vol. 1 benefits greatly from its off-the-cuff approach. Unlike Simpsons previous studio sets, this record isnt built upon a particularly heady concept; its a straight-up, straightforward bluegrass album, one that follows the contours of the genre affectionately, not rigidly. The love of the form invigorates Simpson, who seems to have a blast running through his songbook, selecting highlights from his previous records while cherry-picking some material from his early outfit Sunday Valley. Once the shock of the albums simplicity wears off, Cuttin Grass, Vol. 1 provides plenty of pleasures. The band is nimble and fleet, Simpson sings with gusto, and songs that once seemed a little spacy are brought to earth in a garrulous fashion. Part of Simpsons appeal lies in how he blurs genres, so its a bit ironic that this single-minded collection is one of his best records, but it is: its an album where the joy in the musics creation is palpable and infectious. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

グラミーにも輝いたアウトロー・カントリーの雄による5作目は、骨太なロック仕立ての野心作『Sound & Fury』から一転して、シンプルなアコースティック作品に。サンデイ・ヴァレー時代も含む過去曲をトラディショナルなブルーグラス作法にリアレンジし、ティム・オブライエンやシエラ・ハルら大ヴェテランを交えてブッチャー・ショップで再録。この保守的なリメイクを新鮮に思わせるあたりも、主役の異端児ぶりを逆説的に証明する。
bounce (C)出嶌孝次