Agricultural Tragic

Corb Lund coined the term Agricultural Tragic to describe his idiosyncratic brand of country, but the odd thing about the Canadian troubadours tenth album is that it doesnt feel as if it belongs to rural provinces. From the moment the record snaps to attention with 90 Seconds of Your Time, its clear that Agricultural has a modernist bent; its as steeped in the guitar pop of the 60s as it is in the open plains of America. Lund still cant help romanticizing the West, leading his band into a dreamy waltz so he can salute the great author Louis LAmour, and he still spends a fair amount of time essaying a deep-rooted country-rock, but the album is defined by its humor and swagger. That spirit fuels the cool-rolling blues of Old Men, the riotous duet with Jaida Dreyer on I Think You Oughta Try Whiskey, the Bakersfield twang of Ranchin, Ridin, Romance (Two Outta Three Aint Bad), the frenetic Rat Patrol, and the spoken-word closer Tattoos Blues, which veers toward absurdity. All of these cuts are loose, clever, and inspired, and they make for one of Lunds liveliest records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine