The only song from Ronnie Dunn’s latest album ‘Peace Love and Country Music’ that I listened to prior to consuming the record in full was ‘I Wish I Still Smoked Cigarettes’ (review here). Sweet, nostalgic, profound, it’s been one of my favorite songs of the past year, and although not too familiar with Ronnie’s solo material, I was excited to hear this 14-song collection. And in part, he delivers more of what he promised in ‘Cigarettes’, and yet more predominantly he showcases a mess of production and attempts to pander to the teenage, “bro-country” audience, even though he criticizes that exact action. Let me explain.
‘Peace Love and Country Music’ can quite simply be split fairly equally into three separate parts: a ‘90s, old school, more classic country sound, with simple chord structures, sweet melodies, and decent lyrics and stories; a much more contemporary, country stadium rock sound, with jangling guitars, driving rhythm and fuller production; and some kind of interpretation of bro-country, with rapping, EDM (including the use of auto-tune), R&B beats, OTT heavy rock instrumentals and laundry list lyrics about trucks and beer. Of the first kind, (which includes ‘Cigarettes’), there’s a decent selection; ‘Grown Damn Man’, the opener, has a rough-and-ready feel to it but combats this with a swaying beat and lilting melody, plus a lyric that runs down the well-known path of flawed cowboy saved by a woman’s love. It’s not outstandingly original as such, but I can imagine it would come across well live, and there’s a singalong nature to it that will be a hit with fans.
‘Heart Letting Go’ also fits into this mould, but more refined. A gentle, old school country ballad with an off-beat to tempt more body swaying, it utilizes sparse production, atmospheric pedal steel and a restrained, heartfelt delivery of a heartbreak lyric. ‘You Don’t Know Me’, meanwhile, opts for a more soulful, laid-back sound, supported largely by organ (although the instrumental does reach a bit further than it should), and the title cut keeps things simple and classic, making that well-laid connection between music and faith. We also see a side of Ronnie that aims to place himself in the same sector as those new artists catering to the dying rock scene, such as stadium-appropriate ‘You Should See You Now’ and ‘Cadillac Bound’, which are commercial and radio-ready.
But then we come to the bad news. Trying to keep himself relevant in a country music industry beset by trends far away from the roots of the genre and lacking particular substance, the Ronnie we see in tracks like ‘Cowgirls Rock ‘N’ Roll’, ‘Let’s Get The Beer Joint Rockin’’, ‘Country This’ and ‘Kiss You There’ is one desperate and ill-fitting to such a style. Utilizing drum machines, auto-tune, laundry list lyrics that stereotype country living, obnoxious extended instrumentals with a heavy rock sound, monotone melodies, messy production and an awkward delivery, these songs show the difference between bro-country and bro-country that is done badly (really, it exists). A youthful format at its best, Ronnie is just not suited to it and apparently his producer had no idea what to do with these particular cuts either. Some of the lyrics on offer are so embarrassing you don’t know whether to laugh or cry, and that is not a reaction one should experience when listening to a multiple Grammy nominee, least of all on the same record as ‘Cigarettes’ and some of the other decent offerings.
Frankly, it seems like Ronnie is having an identity crisis. I can’t tell if he wants to be Jerrod Niemann, Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Kip Moore or simply himself – I wish he would just be himself. Chasing youth and chart hits at this point in his career is a futile business, and you would think he would now have the grace and freedom to record songs that he loves rather than feel he is a victim of the times, a slave to a new, young, impatient and fussy audience. What is crucially ironic is the message of ‘They Still Play Country Music In Texas’. A raucous, old-school, foot-tapping number, it directly criticizes the “mixing heavy metal with twang”, the use of hip hop, the music on country radio and the state of the industry today, baffling considering the awful attempts at those exact things that played prior to that track. Maybe Ronnie wanted to show us that he still knows what good music is, but that becomes lost on anyone who is really aware of what they’re listening to. It’s just sad when laid next to perfectly good songs on the same record.
So here’s my plea to Ronnie Dunn. Don’t chase trends, learn what works for you, what always has. Because ultimately this is not ‘Peace Love and Country Music’.
