Sometimes, a one year is not sufficient to listen to all the great albums, so it often happens that we miss on a brilliant release that should have found its place on the top of year end charts. This happened to me with the perfect country album Weight of the World by Western Centuries. They are relatively unknown band. They are not just a group. They are a supergroup, as many of its members are a part of some other bands.
Three vocals and carefully selected instruments make the essence of the band, so each one of the members participated to the diverse country collection with the uniting tagline – great songs. The band did not step away from the tradition of American folk music, but they did sparkle it with a charm and harmony. It is very easy to imagine yourself in a Cadillac cabriole, travelling across American landscapes.
Title track Weights of the World might be the best country song I have heard in years, and I can only add that there could not be a better song at the beginning of the album. Here you can hear all the emotions that this group of people put in their mutual goal – a perfect country song.
Following the initial seduction come bluegrass up-tempo numbers Double or Nothing and Knocking Em Down. The second one has a prominent violins and brings The Band to memory. As the record continues, we get a whole spectrum of nicely constructed melodies interjected into songs that you just wanna keep on repeating. Lyrics are also on the highest level, with the peak in Philosophers and Fools.
The most morose song on the album is Sadder Day, and it reminded me of Funeral by Band of Horses in the interpretation of Willard Grand Conspiracy. When I draw the line, it becomes clear that Western Centuries feel most comfortable in midtempo and bluegrass up-tempo songs. Emotional ballade is their forte.
I can only conclude that Weight of The World is the best country album of 2016. It is a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. I believe you didn’t hear about them before, so it’s about time for that to change.
