In 2014, Sturgill Simpson blended drug-induced psychedelic country with traditional outlaw tales in Metamodern Sounds In Country Music. The cosmos-inspired country sound proved to be one of the strongest and most interesting albums of the year. On A Sailor’s Guide To The Earth, the Kentucky native has continued to diversify his sound with an orchestra, horns and inspiration from his newborn son.
Much of the album is sung as an open letter to the baby who has already changed his life. The songs are both messages of unconditional love and the cautionary tales of the mistakes his child should attempt to avoid in life.
On the opening track of the album, Simpson recalls his revelation from Metamodern‘s “Turtles All The Way Down” about love being the only thing that’s ever saved his life; however, “Welcome To Earth (Pollywog)” echoes and amplifies this feeling as he now has found the thing he loves most of all in this world: his son.
The song begins with an atmospheric slide guitar being played like a theremin before transitioning into a cheery piano rhythm ready for a fairytale. Simpson’s voice bellows with paternal comfort balanced with fluttering violins fit for an angelic welcome party. After the first verse, the song pivots to a lively acid-jazz ballad with a lax brass section and an electric piano.
It is clear after three minutes that Simpson is further diversifying his sound. Sailor’s Guide is his most mellow and mature album to date, with the greatest emphasis on instrumental experimentation.
The defining characteristic of Simpson’s music is his voice. It’s deep and gruff like the classic country rebels, but he also has the ability to leap to higher octaves and brighten any song no matter how dark it may seem at first. It keeps the listener on their toes, as they never know where a song may venture.
The tamed reworking of Nirvana’s classic “In Bloom” more closely resembles a lullaby than the original grunge masterpiece, even if Simpson still suggests “sell the kids for food.” But while Cobain would cry that some of Nirvana’s bandwagon fans “don’t know what it means,” Simpson adds on the lyric “to love someone” to the end of the chorus to keep with the album’s one true constant theme.
Sailor’s Guide serves as a series of Simpson’s recommendations for how his son can best enjoy life. “Brace For Impact (Live A Little)” finds Simpson telling his son to enjoy life because at some point, “Every party must break up.”
In “All Around You,” Simpson promises to be a constant companion: “Long after I’m gone, I’ll still be around ‘Cause our bond is eternal, and so is love.”
“Keep It Between The Lines” is certain to be the song to embarass his son in the future, as Simpson provides the paternal advice that no kid wants to hear (stay in school, say no to drugs, “Don’t get busted selling at 17”), but isn’t that what dads are for?
As long as Simpson’s music keeps developing at this rate, he deserves a few free passes for dolling out cheesy dad wisdom.
Listen to Sturgill Simpson’s cover of Nirvana’s classic “In Bloom” below: